Featured Post

Launching QuietGrowth

Hello all! I am happy to announce that I am launching QuietGrowth ( QuietGrowth.com.au ), the most advanced digital investment management s...

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Urban local elections is the future of LSP

Winning seats in city corporations is the most effective way for Lok Satta Party to grow. The party has gained acceptance in educated urban areas in certain cities in South India. The party can translate this into electoral victories if it focuses on certain specific divisions / wards in these cities where the party enjoys the demographic advantage. That is the reason it is important for LSP to fight hard in city corporations such as GHMC, BBMP, etc.

It is not easy for a party like LSP to win an MP or MLA seat in an urban area without first tasting success at the level of city corporations. Why?

1) An MP or MLA campaign requires significantly higher resources to create a 'wave' in that constituency towards victory. Even highly reputed contestants end up biting the dust

2) Sizable section of people tend to vote during General elections for a national party that they want to see in power at the center, even though they 'like' the LSP candidate who is contesting as an MP candidate.

For example, a large section of LSP sympathisers voted for BJP in the 2014 elections because they wanted Modi to become PM, even though they hated the local MP candidate of BJP (or a local party in alliance with BJP). This holds true for a typical State election too.

3) With a great campaign, an election at the division/ward level is winnable, as it is far easier to inspire your target voters to vote for you on pure 'performance' plank.

That said, the major challenge for LSP is that a typical LSP supporter does not vote at all in the city corporation / municipal elections! Hence, the mobilization and inspiring skills of the local candidate to get her educated voters (who are notorious for not exercising their vote) to the voting booth becomes most important.

Hence, LSP fighting the oncoming GHMC elections in February 2016 with enthusiasm is a very important story of the endeavor for clean politics.

No comments: