Call for re-election, if 50% choose NOTA: Suravaram

• CPI General Secretary says BJP and Congress indulging in mudslinging
• Regrets that no alternative to them in five States going to polls.
• Urges Indian government to consider Nepalese model of ‘proportional representation system’
• States should follow the Kerala model for reining in spurt in prices

Hyderabad: Expressing happiness over introduction of NOTA (None of the Above) option in the Assembly elections of five States, CPI General Secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy has urged the Election Commission (EC) to declare re-election if more than 50 per cent of electorate choose the NOTA option.

Sudhakar Reddy, who shared his ideas on current political situation in the country with the media here on Tuesday, said individuals or parties would not have a moral right to power, if all of them together got less than 50 per cent of votes polled. “When more than 50 per cent people do not like the individuals or party, then the contestants have no right to sit in legislative bodies. We suggest that the EC reconsider this aspect and explore options like re-elections by removing the candidates and the parties rejected by the people,” he said.

On the current political scenario in the country, he lamented that in the five States where Assembly elections were going on, there was no option for the people to choose other than Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. He said that while Congress was pushing forward with its anti-people policies, there were no clear alternative proposals from BJP. “Both parties are fooling people and resorting to personal criticism and mudslinging on each other,” he criticised.

Sudhakar Reddy said that leaving important issues like, increasing prices, inflation to the public, the main opposition party, BJP, was resorting to statements like ‘Khooni Panja’.

Stressing on the need for democratic reforms, he asked the Indian government to consider the Nepalese model, where ‘proportional representation system’ is at work.

He said that there were 240 candidates who are voted through direct elections, while more than 300 candidates won through proportional representations in Nepal. While in India most of the individuals contesting elections win through Money, Caste and Goondaism. When proportional representation was given a chance there would be reduced influence of these. “EC should take opinion of all political parties by organising a meeting and a process should be initiated in this direction,” he said.

Answering to a question on issue of Rayala Telangana, issue which recently cropped up, he pointed out that this proposal has not come up from Home Ministry or Group of Ministers. “We should not take a cue from the Intelligence reports,” he quipped.

Over the solutions to the current problems of price rise, he said that Kerala model should be taken into consideration as it continues to provide 23 items through public distribution system. “When other States have soaring prices, Kerala will always have reasonable prices,” the national leader said.
Expressing pessimism on adopting this model by other States, he said that the Congress and BJP were filled with individuals who were ‘black marketers’ and may not wish to lose their profits.