Friday 15 March 2013

Vote ... Your tool for a better Bangalore

Dear friends,

Something most unexpected happened last week. More people than ever before went out and voted at Karnataka’s urban local body elections – and the increased number of voters, a large number of whom are reported to have come from the Urban Educated (i.e. the middle classes), sent out a strong message: incompetent, inadequate and corrupt political management will not be tolerated.

Bangalore was not a part of this election exercise, but the message to us was clear: we the Urban Educated can make a difference.

Soon we will have state assembly elections in Bangalore. Signs of this impending election are coming up all around our city; all the sitting candidates have started to work the system that will get them re-elected.

They needn't be worried if they have served us well. But they know that a new wave of voters will enter the process this time. They include young people who have come to voting age this time around and want a better quality of life. Also many of the Urban Educated who have stayed away from the process for a long time, ceding the ground to others who are easily encouraged and persuaded by a variety of means to cast their votes in the cause of vested interests.

This is where B.PAC enters the frame. B.PAC has no vested interest – we are working for the cause of ALL Bangalore citizens’ best interests. 

B.PAC is NOT a political party. Conceived and driven by people you know and respect as upright, honorable citizens, it is a civil movement to get Bangalore the fair deal it deserves. (See "B.PAC: Why, What, Who", attached.) And we are trying so hard to get members of the Urban Educated into the voters' booths. 

Perhaps you are one of this group? Perhaps you have abandoned the process because you thought your vote doesn't count - because you think you will be swamped by the others anyway?

NOT TRUE!

We are now actually 40% of the electorate! That's a giant share. It is a tidal wave waiting to happen. Our vote can make a fundamental change in who represents us in the various governmental bodies . . . for the good of ALL Bangaloreans. That 40% is a fact. Figures don't lie. 

At this point, please go to the second attachment to this message - it spells out B.PAC's five objectives. Five short but life-changing objectives, at least Public Life as we see it deteriorating all around us. 

Perhaps you are already on the Voters' List. Please make certain you are   . . . make sure you haven't been bumped off it without you even knowing it. It's happened to many more than you think. You can check by going to http://ceokarnataka.kar.nic.in/vernacularSearch.aspx

When you get there please select “Bangalore” and your assembly constituency and then follow the instructions.

If you find you are not on the list, you must start the process of setting that right. Please start the process of getting on the Voters' List . . . now!

B.PAC has had several meetings with the Election Commissioners and others to make the online process easy. It took me approx 30 mins, with 3-4 starts and re-starts, but it got done – just a few minutes ago. I am delighted!

You can do it online, in four quick steps:

1.  Go to the website of one of B.PAC’s friends: Smartvote. The website is www.smartvote.in

2. On the toolbar, point your cursor to “Voters Area” and on the dropdown menu click on “Register Online”. It will take you to the Chief Electoral Officer’s website. 

3. Register yourself first. Then follow the instructions.

It’s as easy as that. It may close down on you and ask you to start again, which happened twice to me before the third time finally went all the way through, but it does get done finally.

4.  Once you’re registered, you will receive six pages to print out, fill up, attach supporting documents to – and deliver to the Election Officer at the BBMP address provided.

If you don't want to go the online route, there is the regular way: Go to the BBMP office nearest you and take it from there.

Dear friends, to quote Mahatma Gandhi: We must be the change we wish to see in the world.

The first step is to Vote!

B.PAC’s next objective is to identify candidates in every elections who are committed to Bangalore's best interests, and to honest, transparent governance, regardless of which party they belong to. We will identify them and support them in as many ways as we can.

Watch this space for that!

1 comment:

  1. a very good step it should be implemented all over india & one suggestion is we should also concerate on fradu part happening in electoral process

    ReplyDelete