Exercising your right to vote the right candidate to assembly / loksabha

Published April 8, 2014 4:04 pm

This year 2014 – elections temperament is little different. Primarily – I see there is so much more positive interest in politics. Andhra Pradesh is also going thru the same. It will have its assembly and loksabha elections on 30th april 2014 and 7th may 2014.

To choose my candidate, I decided to do self research and analysis. If you are a geek, you know how we purchase a product online. We do extensive online and offline review, check with friends in circle, technical specs, on and on before we arrive at what product and from where to purchase. Exercising the vote is also an important task and need to be backed with solid self research and analysis.

What I do not want to do – 1. go by hearsay in media or celebrities (celebrity promotion) 2. follow known society leaders (whom we typically look up to for life things). Instead – do a self analysis of all candidates profiles. Yes – it does take some time. but home work before voting is required.

My loksabha constituency is chevella. I started with research about Regatte Venkata Reddy, from AAP. I have to yet finish other candidates.

It meant looking at raw footage from the candidate’s past. Raw footage is key here. otherwise, I am again depending on 2nd hand information/analysis. There is so much paid social media campaign and marketing. Using that information – won’t help since that will be biased. Raw footage in terms of interviews, speeches, blogs, contribution to the society, profile history.

For Regatte Venkata Reddy, I could find plenty of that online. Offline data sourcing is pending. Some canned links, I have shared below.

Venkat reddy Interviews:

http://www.global1.youth-leader.org/2011/01/yl-meets-venkat-reddy-eradicating-child-labour-on-a-big-scale/

Profile:

http://www.zoominfo.com/p/R.-Reddy/47304751     http://www.linkedin.com/pub/regetta-venkatreddy/46/28b/b98

Blogs: http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/bikers-against-child-marriage/

Other : MV Foundation 20 year celebration youtube playlist

Internet google search link

These links speak volume about the profile. Based on my read – few things stand out 1. Good history of social work in the field of child welfare. 2. Connected to ground in his field of work. 3. Humility 4. Organizational skills, perseverance, vision and attention to
detail. 5. Long term commitment & solid results.

It will be good that each of us does his own personal self analysis of the raw footage to arrive at his / her own personalized view on each candidate in his/her own assembly/loksabha. Depending on my view is as bad as depending on hearsay by media/celebrities etc. Also – it is good for us to know why we are voting in a candidate? What are his credentials to take/succeed in the role of social welfare of people?

We geeks – do so such due diligence before buying a usb pen drive or external hard disk on ebay. Does voting the right candidate not justify at least 1-2 days of research of all options available? my personal view is to vote “right candidate in aka wrong candidate out” than “right party in”. Once right candidates are in aka wrong candidates are out, things would settle for itself.

I have to yet go through profiles of other candidates from Chevella. For today – signing off here.