Elections 2009

A fine morning, after reading the headlines, I asked a friend “Do you know Sarath Babu”. He replied “Ya ya, the one who acted with Rajinikanth. Ya I know him.”

I did not expect that reply or else I would have got prepared to face it. Then I told him about Sarath Babu. Sarath is from a very humble and poor family in Chennai. His mother sold idli’s door by door for his schooling. Sarath made it to BITS Pilani for his engineering degree and got placed in a software firm. Later he got into IIM-A for his management degree. He topped in the exams and offers poured in. But, he did not take them. He said “I want to be an entrepreneur and adding more he wanted to start a food chain inspired by his mother”. Touching story!

Now, Sarath is taking another step in his life. He is contesting for the Lok Sabha elections. Now wants to give it back to the society. He is an independent candidate from the South Chennai constituency contesting against the biggies.

I wonder in which film has the actor Sarath Babu played a role like this.

 

Btw, 2009 elections have transformed to be a national event with a day holiday for most of the citizens. Campaigns are at full swing in all means and forms of media. Why is this all for? Where is the change? are my questions. I could hear few voicing out “You be the change!”. It makes sense while hearing and while reading the below statistics I feel “God save this place”

• Total no. of Candidates with Criminal Records = 222 (i.e. 16% of 1425 candidates)
• Most of the major political parties have fielded candidates with criminal records, with top four parties being INC (24), BJP(23), BSP(17) and SP(10)
• Most states have candidates with criminal background contesting elections- Bihar is at the top with 51 candidates (or 26%)
• There are 306 charges of heinous nature on the candidates which includes, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, extortion, etc.
• Percentage of contesting crorepatis has increased from 9% in 2004 to 14% in 2009
• 68% candidates have not furnished their PAN card details.
• Number of women candidates is just 122(7%) as compared to 1593 of men(93%)

 

Source: ADR Press Release in New Delhi. Thanks to Anil for the mail.

I have no comments to explain the above!!!!!