SEEKING SUPPORT: Lok Satta activists campaigning at Charlapally in Nalgonda district on Monday. — PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

CHARLAPALLY (NALGONDA DT): Even as Lok Satta founder Jayaprakash Narayan is getting set to launch a new political party on August 9, five youngsters of the outfit are already testing waters in the gram panchayat elections at Charlapally, 6 kms from district headquarters.

Five candidates--Gundla Rambabu (ward no: 8), Annemalla Ramesh (5), Perike Madhusudan (4), Bojja Saidulu (11) and Chowdoju Srinivasa Chary (6)— have been going around the village in a rickshaw with a Lok Satta's flag atop. They deliberately desist from delivering "political speeches." Instead, they launch on a door-to-door campaign explaining the philosophy of their organization founded by an honest civil servant.

While mainstream political parties are spending considerable amount to woo the voters, these humble youngsters have spent well below Rs.400 till date. There are 4,275 voters and 14 wards in the village with a population of 8,900. All the five candidates are locked in a triangular contest.

"Truth will triumph. Since I am honest, people will elect me as a ward member," Mr.Srinivasa Chary, a rural medical practitioner, told The Hindu on Monday.

For clean politics

Lok Satta's joint secretary Medi Narsimha, a sincere activist to the core, is campaigning for the victory of the five candidates. "Charlapally remains the testing ground for Lok Satta's idea of infusing new political culture. After a vigorous campaign, we have already come to the conclusion that people welcome clean politics," he said clarifying that the candidates did not have a mandate from their headquarters.

"We feel that the panchayat elections provided us an excellent opportunity to test our mettle. We are educating the people of the ill-effects of succumbing to money and liquor in the elections," Mr.Narasimha said.

However, B.Venkatram Reddy, a B.Pharmacy student, is sceptical about victory to the honest. "It is clear that they cannot take on money power of mainstream political parties. But I wish the Lok Satta candidates win the elections."

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