GENRE: Explainers

Manifestos of the various parties do talk about different plans to improve cities. Here is a quick summary of the key points related to urban issues. The Indian National Congress(INC) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] in their manifestos have promised proper implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment and thereby the devolution of powers to local elected bodies. The INC plans on introducing mayoral reforms where the Mayor will be empowered and have a term of five years. Both parties plan on developing an Urban Policy. The CPI(M) plans to move away from the concept of ‘Smart cities’…

This election season, Factly.in has put together a series of videos that seeks to deconstruct various aspects of the massive democratic exercise to make every citizen aware of its history, processes, rules and other relevant information. Political parties are key players in the democratic process and yet they were never mentioned in the Constitution when it was drafted. Why do we need political parties at all? Do they do anything to reduce chaos in the existing electoral system? How do these political parties form government? What is the difference between regional and national parties? What role do regional parties play in forming…

As the campaigning ended on Easter Sunday for all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the big question is whether the BJP will be able to get its first ever MP from the state. Intermittent summer showers did nothing to cool the campaigning fervour of the three main contestants - the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) working to keep its 12 seats intact, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) hoping to not lose any of its current eight seats, and the newly-energised BJP which is hoping to cash in on the sentiments raised over Supreme Court’s Sabarimala temple verdict. The…

This election season, Factly.in has put together a series of videos that seeks to deconstruct various aspects of the massive democratic exercise to make every citizen aware of its history, processes, rules and other relevant information. The second episode breaks down the most important election procedures of voter registration and voting. This is no rocket science and yet it may seem confusing. https://youtu.be/ZPAJfABAksI [This video series is produced by Factly as a part of the YouTube GNI Innovation Funding and has been republished here with permission.]

Voting for election of the 17th Lok Sabha has started and will be conducted in seven phases in all, concluding on May 19th. And yes, in this magnificent exercise in the world's most populous democracy, it is crucial for every citizen to go out and vote. A high voter turnout puts the onus on elected representatives to discharge their duties and be held accountable for their action and inaction during their time in office. And yet, some of you may still be confused about the nitty gritty as well as the larger questions around the cast of your mandate. Here's a…

K N Ramachandran, a veteran of state politics was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Sriperumbudur constituency in 2014. Sriperumbudur constituency consists of six assembly constituencies -- Maduravoyal, Sriperumbudur, Alandur, Pallavaram, Ambattur, Tambaram. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, K N Ramachandran (AIADMK) defeated Jagathrakshagan (DMK) by 1,02,646 votes. The constituency, with 19,46,503 voters had 66.10% voter turnout in 2014 elections, of which K N Ramachandran attained 42.42% votes.  However, he is not in the fray for re-election to the 17th Lok Sabha. Personal Information Name: K N Ramachandran Age:     63 years Constituency: Sriperumbudur Address: 4/163,G.S.T.Road,Vandalur Otteri,Chennai-600 048 Name…

This election season, Factly.in has put together a series of videos that seeks to deconstruct various aspects of the massive democratic exercise to make every citizen aware of its history, processes, rules and other relevant information. In the first episode,  find answers to what happened in independent India’s first ever election, how elections have progressed, what the Election Commission of India has been getting right, where we are now and where we are headed. https://youtu.be/fwRl66BOoKs [This video series is produced by Factly as a part of the YouTube GNI Innovation Funding and has been republished here with permission. The summary…

With the Lok Sabha elections right around the corner, Citizen Matters caught up with Prashanth Goutham of Arappor Iyakkam. In this freewheeling discussion with Meenakshi Ramesh, Prashanth details the roles and responsibilities of an MP and what voters must look for in deciding on the ideal candidate. https://youtu.be/Zm0bKsPxqIE [Meenakshi Ramesh anchors the Chennai edition of Citizen Matters and is actively involved in many civic initiatives. She can be reached at meenakshi@citizenmatters.in]

How should one go about voting in an election? This seems quite a bewildering challenge for some voters unless they have already made up their mind on whom or which party to vote. The manifestos of both the major parties are out. In case the promises they are making and their track record of delivering on previous manifestos hasn’t helped you decide, read on. For those still undecided, this article may give you some guidance on making an informed choice. Let us first begin by understanding the role of a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP),the nature of our democracy…

A second time MP, Dr Naramalli Sivaprasad is a versatile personality. A theatre-artist, actor, film producer and two-time MP from the Chittoor Constituency, Sivaprasad is known for dressing up as various characters in Parliament to draw attention to issues. Dressed on various occasions as characters as diverse as Adolf Hitler, Chatrapathi Shivaji and MG Ramachandran, the MP staged protests demanding special packages for Andhra Pradesh. While his appearances as a theatre artist have hogged headlines, his recorded attendance and engagement as Member of Parliament on the floor of the House leave much to be desired.  In the 2014 elections, Sivaprasad…