In an open invitation by Goregaonkar Nagrik (GN), a initiative of prominent citizens of Goregaon, to all political parties and their candidates to come for a live public debate on February 5 and spell out their agenda for the ensuing February 16 BMC elections. The citizens initiative seeks to set up a Guardian Group of prominent citizens of the suburb which will ensure that Goregaon becomes socially, culturally, politically and economically enriched.
For the past one month representatives of the Goregaonkar Nagrik have been visiting localities in Goregaon East and West trying to educate people about their rights and duties as voters during the ensuing BMC elections of February 16.
“Candidates of all the political parties have been invited for the public debate. We are offering them a readymade opportunity whereby they can reach out to the voters, tell them their promises, how they plan to implement once they are elected. We are also urging them to disclose not just their own financial status, but also of their immediate relatives,” disclosed GN office bearer Swanand Oak.
“We have urged them to observe decency and decorum while articulating their own election agenda and refrain from making any personal allegations and criticism of each other. From our side we too assure them that no bias shall be shown to anyone of the candidates. If there is a healthy and vibrant relationship between the people and the elected representatives, much of the mistrust and misgivings will automatically go away or will not arise at all,” added Oak.
The first of such public debate is being organised at the Goregaon Gymkhana at Jayprakash Nagar, Goregaon West between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oak argues that the minimum expectations of GN is that the candidate should have a clean image. The candidate should not have any criminal cases lodged against him. The candidate should have filed his Income Tax returns for the last three years.
All candidates, irrespective of whether they get a party ticket, should file their IT returns and disclose their financial condition before the elections. The GN is demanding that the candidate should have a permanent source of income of his or her own.
In terms of education, the GN expects its contesting candidates to be a graduate at the very minimum and should have a few years of social service on their resume. Besides this the candidate must have good knowledge about the constituency and its problems.