Political parties to march in Bengaluru for clean politics on Oct 2

by October 1, 2013 Governance
Lok Satta, Aam Aadmi Party and JD(U) have organised a walk on October 2 in Bangalore, from M G Road to Anand Rao Circle, demanding de-criminalisation of politics.

The Supreme Court recently barred criminals from contesting elections, and also ruled that convicted MLAs and MPs would lose their seats. Our politicians immediately tried to overturn this through an Ordinance, approved by the entire cabinet. The other parties, which are supposed to provide opposition to such dubious steps, also kept quiet because such moves benefit them too. But there is no doubt that this retrograde step will infinitely harm democracy in India. 

Speaking to the media at Bangalore Press Club, JD(U) State President M P Nadagouda said:  “On September 14 we held a conference on Electoral Reforms. After the conference a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Freedom Fighter H S Doreswamy and was agreed to continue the fight for this cause. As part of this continued fight, we have organised a Walk For Democracy on Gandhi Jayanthi day.”

LokSatta Party leader Ravi Krishna Reddy said: “The present system does not allow honest and clean politics. Unless the rules of the game are changed and rule of law applicable to all, the present system will not encourage True Democracy,  It is time all of us come together to fight this battle.

Siddarth Sharma of Aam Admi Party said the demands are:

  1. The laws of the country must not, under any circumstance, allow convicted persons to remain elected representatives.
  2. The Election Commission must be fully empowered to and held accountable to ensure that money power in elections is reduced progressively and eliminated.
  3. The Election Commission must be held accountable to ensure easy registration of voters, including in all colleges and through post offices, and that the voter rolls should be accurate, and continuoulsy updated, with penalties applicable for errors and deficiencies in registration.

Walk begins at Mahatma Gandhi statue on M.G Road at 9:30am and culminates at Gandhi statue in Anand Rao Circle. The route will be MG Road, Kasturba Road, Mallya Hospital, NR Circle, Mysore Bank and Anand Rao Circle.

“We request all citizens to join this march to demand political reforms and remind the world that the real tribute to Mahatma Gandhi is true democracy,” says a joint press release from all the three parties.

Related Articles

Loksatta urges govt to subsidise public transport
Sachidanandanagar khata saga: Gandhigiri part two
Celebrate the spirit of Mahatma; Celebrate the Joy of Giving

Sections:

About Srinivas Alavilli

Srinivas Alavilli is a citizen activist based in Bengaluru, working on a variety of issues. He is the co-founder of Citizens for Bengaluru, and is currently Fellow at WRI India.
Read more by Srinivas Alavilli

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Left off the list: How SIR is costing transgender voters their rights

by July 31, 2026 Governance
Mismatched documents, hostile families, and no dedicated support leave many trans citizens at risk of being removed from electoral rolls.

For Rayyan Monkey, a transgender voter from Mumbai, the SIR does not just threaten her right to vote. It also risks her ability to travel freely and exist as a woman in the country. Raised abroad before moving to Mumbai, Rayyan was left unmapped on the voter lists because her parents did not vote in 2002. The only way for her to complete her progeny mapping is to provide either her grandfather’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) card or her father’s birth certificate. However, after coming out to her family, Rayyan has been estranged from her extended relatives. Her father’s documents,…

Continue reading

Similar Story

Karnataka Apartment Management Bill: The proposed law needs one critical correction

by July 30, 2026 Governance
A flaw in the Karnataka Apartment Bill, 2026 could derail apartment governance in Bengaluru and beyond. Why the 50% allotment rule must be amended.

The proposed Karnataka Apartment Management Bill, 2026 is an important step towards simplifying apartment governance in the state. By replacing the overlapping provisions of the Karnataka Ownership Flats Act (KOFA) and the Karnataka Apartment Ownership Act (KAOA) with a single legislation, the government has an opportunity to create a more transparent and efficient legal framework for apartment communities. Many of the proposed provisions are likely to benefit homebuyers, apartment associations and developers alike, by reducing legal ambiguity and providing a common framework for the management of residential communities. However, one provision deserves urgent reconsideration before the Bill becomes law. Formation…

Continue reading