from daijiworld's special correspondent
Panaji, May 3: Amidst heavy mud-slinging and cut-throat competition by major political parties to capture the reins of power in Goa, a young political outfit 'Lok Paritran' has also decided to throw its hat in the ring.
The election symbol of Lok Paritran
After making their reasonable presence in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Uttar Pradesh, Lok Paritran, a political outfit floated by IITians will contest the ensuing Goa legislative assembly polls.
"We are a national political party and intend to spread our roots in Goa too," Tanmay Rajpurohit, national president, Lok Paritran, told reporters here.
The party has decided to contest in all the 40 constituencies in the forthcoming June two Goa elections.
"The main issue the party is going to focus is the transparency and accountability in the system," he said. Rajpurohit, an IIT-Powai graduate, feels that logistically it is much cosy to fight elections in a smaller state like Goa, which is a politically volatile state.
The political outfit, an enlarged version of idea germinated in the minds of few IITians a year-and-half ago, has decided to fight the forthcoming Rajasthan and Gujarat polls too.
Rajpurohit, president of perhaps India's youngest party, said that the party candidates would be young. "If not young in age, they will be young at heart," he adds.
The party has outlined education and character as a mandatory criterion for selection of candidates. "Winnability comes secondary. We are confident that the morale of the party workers, dedication of candidates motivation of leadership and support of the people will definitely deliver us victory in a few seats," Rajpurohit said.
The Lok Paritran has fought Chennai corporation elections on seven seats, Uttar Pradesh elections on four and Delhi corporation election on four seats. "We lost at majority seats (except in UP where results are yet to be declared) only because of electoral malpractices. we have better hopes in Goa where the election is much smoother affair," Rajpurohit said.