Team Anna is poll bound
4 Aug 2012 6:36 AM IST
Team Anna formally launched its political party on Friday at Jantar Mantar amidst differences of opinion within the group on the issue. The launch coincided with the ending of indefinite fast by the anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare and his team members Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodiya and Gopal Rai. The fast was broken with the former chief of the army staff Gen. V K Singh offering coconut water to Hazare. Millennium Post had reported earlier that Singh would join the protest at some stage.
Before ending the fast, Kejriwal outlined a possible manifesto of the new political party, which veered away from the core issue of the Jan Lokpal Bill to a much larger agenda targeting new social base, like minorities, dalits and rural constituencies. The crowd was also addressed by the former army general, the social scientist Yogendra Yadav and Hazare among others.
The known Hazare supporters, like Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravishankar, are said to have turned down the offer to visit Jantar Mantar after Team Anna made public its intention to form a political party. The prominent social activist Medha Patkar also withdrew from the scene of the protest after the decision to launch a political party was floated.
However, the core team of Hazare continued to go with the momentum generated at the fast venue. Hazare said that he would not contest an election but support his aides in the process. 'What do those in power know about corruption and the common man? They sit in air-conditioned offices all day long,' he said. Singh said, 'We appealed to Anna to end fast because he has to fight a greater battle to change the politics of India. He must bring the true form of democracy to people.' He was among the 26 prominent citizens who wrote to Anna on Thursday, asking him to 'gift to the people a political force'.
Kejriwal told the gathering, 'You will name our party.' Making a lengthy speech before ending the hunger strike, Kejriwal elaborated on what the new party would stand for – transparency, better education, secularism, the poor farmer and ripped-off common people. 'In this party, unlike others, the public will decide the agenda. We don't want to win elections .... We want to challenge the existing parties. The details of the donations we receive will be posted on our web site .... This will dare the others to follow suit,' he said.
He also said that if the government agreed to urgently pass the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill and introduce electoral reforms, like the right to recall under-performing MPs and the right to reject unworthy candidates and nullify an election, Team Anna would cancel its plans to enter direct electoral politics. 'We have no great love for entering politics,' he said.
HIGHLIGHT
How Anna Party Will Be Different
IT’S A FIGHT FOR CHANGE, NOT POWER: ANNA
Team Anna said on Friday that their proposed political alternative ‘would not compromise on corruption’ and their fight was to ‘change the system and not for power’.
Ahead of calling off the indefinite fast by Anna Hazare and the other team members in the evening, India Against Corruption (IAC), which is organising the protest against corruption, said on its website, ‘Anna is a hero of people. How long he can remain deaf to the voice of people? He has taken a decision to challenge the political class.’
‘Team Anna is ready to enter the battlefield of politics and to take on the government. Anna has said that he will not dilute his beliefs. The political alternative that will come up will not compromise on corruption. This fight is not for changing power but changing the system,’ the website said.
Meanwhile, Anna Hazare said he will tour the entire country in support of anti-corruption movement being launched by his team and this could take shape of a political alternative if people give their support.Addressing the gathering at Jantar Mantar before ending fast for a strong Lokpal bill, Hazare said leaders who were now making comments about political inklings of his team were the ones who had taunted them to come to parliament to get bills passed.
Hazare said the fight was not merely for Lokpal bill but for ‘wholesome change’.
‘I will keep going on tours, go to people for an alternative. If people are awakened, we will think of an [political] alternative,’ he said.
Hazare said if Jan Lokpal bill, drafted by civil society activists, was adopted, it will make a major impact in fighting corruption.
‘If Jan Lokpal bill comes, I do not say 100 per cent but 65 percent corruption will vanish,’ Hazare said.
The activist said his campaign was also aimed at giving power to people at the grassroots level and bringing electoral reforms like right to recall and right to reject. Referring to the crowds gathered as his family, Hazare called upon people to follow the righteous path.
Talking to reporters, Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said it would be premature to form a political party and that the public will decide the path of the movement from the streets to parliament.
‘Right now it’s premature to say about forming a political party. We will have to give a political alternative and it will come out from the public. The public will decide how the movement, which began on the streets, should reach the parliament,’ Sisodia said.
Meanwhile, social activist Medha Patkar, a member of Team Anna’s core committee, cautioned Team Anna on its decision.
‘One has to think a hundred times before taking a plunge into electoral politics. If he joins politics, then the momentum gained should not be lost. When people with noble intentions join politics, either they don’t last long or they don’t achieve much,’ Patkar said.
Hazare and his team members Thursday decided to call off their fast for stringent Jan Lokpal bill Friday afternoon and give a ‘political alternative’ to the people.
Team Anna leaders, including Anna Hazare, ended their fast Friday evening with former army chief V K Singh offering them coconut water or lemonade. This was announced by Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan.
NOT A PARTY, IT WILL BE AN ‘ANDOLAN’: KEJRIWAL
Throwing light on its proposed ‘political alternative’, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Friday put a higher political premium on Team Anna’s campaign, by calling it an andolan or movement.
‘Our aim is not to grab power, but to end the Delhi-centric government and take governance to villages and the people. Ours will not be a party, but a movement,’ Kejriwal told the thousands gathered at the indefinite fast site in Jantar Mantar here.
Kejriwal, who has been on fast for the last 10 days, causing concern over his weakening health condition, spoke for half-an-hour about the proposed movement and plans.
‘There will be no party high command and the people will select the candidates. We will go among the farmers and the people and ask them about their problems. They will tell us about their problems and their solutions. We will also go among the youth and ask them about their problems and ask for solutions. Likewise, we will go around the entire country and meet people. They will form the ghoshna patra [manifesto].’
‘Ours will have the structure of an andolan, and be what the people want. Our aim is not just to win the polls, it is to challenge all the political parties. All the donations we get we will put on our website and challenge the political parties to do likewise. We will likewise put our expenses on the website.’
He added that they would take their agitation ‘inside parliament and on the streets’.
He also invited those in the ruling Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to join their desh bhakt movement if they were ‘feeling suffocated’ in their respective parties. I have a vision that in three years, India will change,’ he added. General elections will be held in India in 2014.
COUNTRY IS DIRECTIONLESS: V K SINGH
Former Indian Army chief General V K Singh on Friday lent his voice to Anna Hazare’s anti-graft movement and also joined the protest at Jantar Mantar here where the fasting social activists ended their hunger strike.
Millennium Post had earlier reported that Singh would come forward to support Team Anna.
Expressing his strong support to Hazare and his movement against corruption, General Singh, who had blown the lid off the Tatra army trucks bribe offer while still in office, also warned Hazare to be prepared to face opposition from anti-democratic forces.
Supporting Hazare and his team members coming out with a political alternative, Singh said, ‘Team Anna must be prepared to face opposition from those who do not believe in democracy.’ He also said Hazare had taken the right call by calling off the fast.
Terming corruption as the most important problem faced by the country, Singh said, ‘The next change should come in politics, as the country is now directionless.’
‘Team Anna has to clean up the political system,’ he said, speaking in Hindi. Singh also sat with the fasting Team Anna members for some time to express solidarity with the cause.
Congratulating Team Anna for fighting against corruption, Singh said he supported their decision to provide a political alternative to the people.
Hazare and his team members Thursday announced that they will call off their fast Friday.
THEY PLAYED THEIR CARDS WELL: SIBAL
Union human resource and development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal on Friday described members of Team Anna as 'hardcore politicians', who pre-meditated to join politics and for which they played with the sentiments of the general public.
Sibal alleged that joining politics was the final mission of Team Anna.
'They adopted many ways so that they can reach this point of joining politics, which was always their ultimate goal. These people are hardcore politicians. They play their cards very well,' said Sibal.
'They know very well what politics is. They have positioned themselves well,' he added. Sibal, however, welcomed veteran social activist Anna Hazare's decision to float a new political party.
'We must welcome their decision. Any team can come and face the people and contest elections. Well, we all already knew that this is what they were interested in,' Sibal said. 'First, they took support of the people by acting innocent and then used the media to create uproar. Then they announced their decision to join politics. They are the real politicians,' he added.
HEGDE DOESN'T SUPPORT ANNA'S NEW MOVE
Former Karnataka Lokayukta and Team Anna member Santosh Hegde has said he does not support Anna Hazare and his team floating a political party, but would campaign for candidates who identify themselves with his movement against corruption.
'I don't support Anna Hazare and his team starting a political party. But I have heard Anna speaking on TV that he is neither forming a party nor contesting elections, but may support people wanting to contest elections whom he knows will help the cause of fight against corruption and bring about political change in the country,' he told reporters here.
Hegde said Anna's identity is not of a politician but one who wants to bring about social change. 'I think he should continue to be like that. Anna is not meant for forming a political party,' he added.
He, however, said he did not have any reservations if Team Team Anna contests elections, provided they don't seek support from political parties involved in corruption.
'If Team Anna members want to contest, let them do so. If we know the candidates' antecedents, then there is no harm in supporting them. They should have a clean image and fight elections individually without any support from political parties involved in corruption,' he said.
Hegde said corruption cannot be eradicated unless there is change in the legislative system and attitude of people in the legislature. 'Therefore we got to have a good system through which good people enter politics,' he added.
'Then there are questions arising as to availability of that many people who have capacity to fight an election and bring about a change in the legislature. For this I have no answer. That is why my view is that if there are good people, may be from Team Anna or any other team,they can be supported, but it should not be done under Anna's banner.' To a query, Hegde said Team Anna should keep the protest going, but not necessarily by fasting, which he is against.
TEAM CAN'T BE ALTERNATIVE TO BJP: GADKARI
BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Friday welcomed Anna Hazare and his team's announcement to enter the political arena but stressed that it could not become an alternative to his party.
Gadkari said the BJP supports 'anyone who's against corruption, be it Anna Hazare or Baba Ramdev. If Anna seeks our support, we will help'.
He said Team Anna could not become an alternative to the BJP but the Congress could. He also said his party did not face any threat from this.
To a question whether all was well with the National Democratic Alliance, which his party heads, especially with Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar taking a different stand on various issues, Gadkari said NDA was 'intact'. He added that he was confident that Nitish Kumar would stay with the coalition. [agencies]
Before ending the fast, Kejriwal outlined a possible manifesto of the new political party, which veered away from the core issue of the Jan Lokpal Bill to a much larger agenda targeting new social base, like minorities, dalits and rural constituencies. The crowd was also addressed by the former army general, the social scientist Yogendra Yadav and Hazare among others.
The known Hazare supporters, like Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravishankar, are said to have turned down the offer to visit Jantar Mantar after Team Anna made public its intention to form a political party. The prominent social activist Medha Patkar also withdrew from the scene of the protest after the decision to launch a political party was floated.
However, the core team of Hazare continued to go with the momentum generated at the fast venue. Hazare said that he would not contest an election but support his aides in the process. 'What do those in power know about corruption and the common man? They sit in air-conditioned offices all day long,' he said. Singh said, 'We appealed to Anna to end fast because he has to fight a greater battle to change the politics of India. He must bring the true form of democracy to people.' He was among the 26 prominent citizens who wrote to Anna on Thursday, asking him to 'gift to the people a political force'.
Kejriwal told the gathering, 'You will name our party.' Making a lengthy speech before ending the hunger strike, Kejriwal elaborated on what the new party would stand for – transparency, better education, secularism, the poor farmer and ripped-off common people. 'In this party, unlike others, the public will decide the agenda. We don't want to win elections .... We want to challenge the existing parties. The details of the donations we receive will be posted on our web site .... This will dare the others to follow suit,' he said.
He also said that if the government agreed to urgently pass the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill and introduce electoral reforms, like the right to recall under-performing MPs and the right to reject unworthy candidates and nullify an election, Team Anna would cancel its plans to enter direct electoral politics. 'We have no great love for entering politics,' he said.
HIGHLIGHT
How Anna Party Will Be Different
- Law making at Gram Sabha level
- There would be no party high command
- New Delhi will no more be political nerve centre
- No use of AC rooms
- No import of grain
IT’S A FIGHT FOR CHANGE, NOT POWER: ANNA
Team Anna said on Friday that their proposed political alternative ‘would not compromise on corruption’ and their fight was to ‘change the system and not for power’.
Ahead of calling off the indefinite fast by Anna Hazare and the other team members in the evening, India Against Corruption (IAC), which is organising the protest against corruption, said on its website, ‘Anna is a hero of people. How long he can remain deaf to the voice of people? He has taken a decision to challenge the political class.’
‘Team Anna is ready to enter the battlefield of politics and to take on the government. Anna has said that he will not dilute his beliefs. The political alternative that will come up will not compromise on corruption. This fight is not for changing power but changing the system,’ the website said.
Meanwhile, Anna Hazare said he will tour the entire country in support of anti-corruption movement being launched by his team and this could take shape of a political alternative if people give their support.Addressing the gathering at Jantar Mantar before ending fast for a strong Lokpal bill, Hazare said leaders who were now making comments about political inklings of his team were the ones who had taunted them to come to parliament to get bills passed.
Hazare said the fight was not merely for Lokpal bill but for ‘wholesome change’.
‘I will keep going on tours, go to people for an alternative. If people are awakened, we will think of an [political] alternative,’ he said.
Hazare said if Jan Lokpal bill, drafted by civil society activists, was adopted, it will make a major impact in fighting corruption.
‘If Jan Lokpal bill comes, I do not say 100 per cent but 65 percent corruption will vanish,’ Hazare said.
The activist said his campaign was also aimed at giving power to people at the grassroots level and bringing electoral reforms like right to recall and right to reject. Referring to the crowds gathered as his family, Hazare called upon people to follow the righteous path.
Talking to reporters, Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said it would be premature to form a political party and that the public will decide the path of the movement from the streets to parliament.
‘Right now it’s premature to say about forming a political party. We will have to give a political alternative and it will come out from the public. The public will decide how the movement, which began on the streets, should reach the parliament,’ Sisodia said.
Meanwhile, social activist Medha Patkar, a member of Team Anna’s core committee, cautioned Team Anna on its decision.
‘One has to think a hundred times before taking a plunge into electoral politics. If he joins politics, then the momentum gained should not be lost. When people with noble intentions join politics, either they don’t last long or they don’t achieve much,’ Patkar said.
Hazare and his team members Thursday decided to call off their fast for stringent Jan Lokpal bill Friday afternoon and give a ‘political alternative’ to the people.
Team Anna leaders, including Anna Hazare, ended their fast Friday evening with former army chief V K Singh offering them coconut water or lemonade. This was announced by Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan.
NOT A PARTY, IT WILL BE AN ‘ANDOLAN’: KEJRIWAL
Throwing light on its proposed ‘political alternative’, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Friday put a higher political premium on Team Anna’s campaign, by calling it an andolan or movement.
‘Our aim is not to grab power, but to end the Delhi-centric government and take governance to villages and the people. Ours will not be a party, but a movement,’ Kejriwal told the thousands gathered at the indefinite fast site in Jantar Mantar here.
Kejriwal, who has been on fast for the last 10 days, causing concern over his weakening health condition, spoke for half-an-hour about the proposed movement and plans.
‘There will be no party high command and the people will select the candidates. We will go among the farmers and the people and ask them about their problems. They will tell us about their problems and their solutions. We will also go among the youth and ask them about their problems and ask for solutions. Likewise, we will go around the entire country and meet people. They will form the ghoshna patra [manifesto].’
‘Ours will have the structure of an andolan, and be what the people want. Our aim is not just to win the polls, it is to challenge all the political parties. All the donations we get we will put on our website and challenge the political parties to do likewise. We will likewise put our expenses on the website.’
He added that they would take their agitation ‘inside parliament and on the streets’.
He also invited those in the ruling Congress and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to join their desh bhakt movement if they were ‘feeling suffocated’ in their respective parties. I have a vision that in three years, India will change,’ he added. General elections will be held in India in 2014.
COUNTRY IS DIRECTIONLESS: V K SINGH
Former Indian Army chief General V K Singh on Friday lent his voice to Anna Hazare’s anti-graft movement and also joined the protest at Jantar Mantar here where the fasting social activists ended their hunger strike.
Millennium Post had earlier reported that Singh would come forward to support Team Anna.
Expressing his strong support to Hazare and his movement against corruption, General Singh, who had blown the lid off the Tatra army trucks bribe offer while still in office, also warned Hazare to be prepared to face opposition from anti-democratic forces.
Supporting Hazare and his team members coming out with a political alternative, Singh said, ‘Team Anna must be prepared to face opposition from those who do not believe in democracy.’ He also said Hazare had taken the right call by calling off the fast.
Terming corruption as the most important problem faced by the country, Singh said, ‘The next change should come in politics, as the country is now directionless.’
‘Team Anna has to clean up the political system,’ he said, speaking in Hindi. Singh also sat with the fasting Team Anna members for some time to express solidarity with the cause.
Congratulating Team Anna for fighting against corruption, Singh said he supported their decision to provide a political alternative to the people.
Hazare and his team members Thursday announced that they will call off their fast Friday.
THEY PLAYED THEIR CARDS WELL: SIBAL
Union human resource and development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal on Friday described members of Team Anna as 'hardcore politicians', who pre-meditated to join politics and for which they played with the sentiments of the general public.
Sibal alleged that joining politics was the final mission of Team Anna.
'They adopted many ways so that they can reach this point of joining politics, which was always their ultimate goal. These people are hardcore politicians. They play their cards very well,' said Sibal.
'They know very well what politics is. They have positioned themselves well,' he added. Sibal, however, welcomed veteran social activist Anna Hazare's decision to float a new political party.
'We must welcome their decision. Any team can come and face the people and contest elections. Well, we all already knew that this is what they were interested in,' Sibal said. 'First, they took support of the people by acting innocent and then used the media to create uproar. Then they announced their decision to join politics. They are the real politicians,' he added.
HEGDE DOESN'T SUPPORT ANNA'S NEW MOVE
Former Karnataka Lokayukta and Team Anna member Santosh Hegde has said he does not support Anna Hazare and his team floating a political party, but would campaign for candidates who identify themselves with his movement against corruption.
'I don't support Anna Hazare and his team starting a political party. But I have heard Anna speaking on TV that he is neither forming a party nor contesting elections, but may support people wanting to contest elections whom he knows will help the cause of fight against corruption and bring about political change in the country,' he told reporters here.
Hegde said Anna's identity is not of a politician but one who wants to bring about social change. 'I think he should continue to be like that. Anna is not meant for forming a political party,' he added.
He, however, said he did not have any reservations if Team Team Anna contests elections, provided they don't seek support from political parties involved in corruption.
'If Team Anna members want to contest, let them do so. If we know the candidates' antecedents, then there is no harm in supporting them. They should have a clean image and fight elections individually without any support from political parties involved in corruption,' he said.
Hegde said corruption cannot be eradicated unless there is change in the legislative system and attitude of people in the legislature. 'Therefore we got to have a good system through which good people enter politics,' he added.
'Then there are questions arising as to availability of that many people who have capacity to fight an election and bring about a change in the legislature. For this I have no answer. That is why my view is that if there are good people, may be from Team Anna or any other team,they can be supported, but it should not be done under Anna's banner.' To a query, Hegde said Team Anna should keep the protest going, but not necessarily by fasting, which he is against.
TEAM CAN'T BE ALTERNATIVE TO BJP: GADKARI
BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Friday welcomed Anna Hazare and his team's announcement to enter the political arena but stressed that it could not become an alternative to his party.
Gadkari said the BJP supports 'anyone who's against corruption, be it Anna Hazare or Baba Ramdev. If Anna seeks our support, we will help'.
He said Team Anna could not become an alternative to the BJP but the Congress could. He also said his party did not face any threat from this.
To a question whether all was well with the National Democratic Alliance, which his party heads, especially with Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar taking a different stand on various issues, Gadkari said NDA was 'intact'. He added that he was confident that Nitish Kumar would stay with the coalition. [agencies]
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