Statewide survey to gauge major issues before UP voters

UPEW WOULD PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION TO VOTERS THROUGH MOBILE PHONES, SMS AND WEBSITE.

So what are the issues on which people in Uttar Pradesh are going to vote this assembly election due early 2017?

Citizens watchdog body Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch – has embarked on statewide survey to find this out.

“Our survey on issues before the people is underway in three divisions presently and we will put out the findings of the voting trend based on the feedback very soon,” informed state coordinator of UP Election Watch (UPEW) Sanjay Singh.

Apart from feeling the pulse of the people, the organisation also intends to rope in 10 lakh volunteers to encourage people for ethical voting to prevent use of money and muscle power in the upcoming assembly elections.

He said the purpose of the exercise was to ensure that candidates with clean image and convictions emerge victorious.

“We would prepare a dossier on the bad guys in the fray and urge people not to vote for them,” he said. The voters would be provided complete information about the educational, economic and criminal background of the candidates contesting from a particular constituency.

The UPEW would provide this information to voters through mobile phones, SMS and website. The association would also co-ordinate with the Google to increase its outreach to the voters.

As a prelude to the final battle for the hustings, drives and campaigns would be launched to build and mobilise public opinion. The association would organise interactive sessions in Universities, schools and colleges with the help of various other NGOs.

“We would also invite leaders from all political parties to a seminar to be held soon to know their views on electoral reforms, the type of candidates they field, specially their qualification and background,” said Rashmi Sharma, convenor of UPEW.

The decision, she said, was taken at the core committee meeting in which social organisations from Bundelkhand and various parts of the state also took part.

Singh said that during the panchayat elections in past in the State the UPEW had launched an awareness campaign for voters with the slogan ‘Mera GaonMera Vote’ and mobilised a team of 12,485 females and 22,336 male voters.