RWA is watching civic poll candidates

Besides exploring an option to contest polls, residents will play watchdog as they will dig out and circulate minute details pertaining to each contestant in fray in their respective residential areas, for the first time.

One goal

"It's not going to be easy for poll aspirants this time," said S Viswanath, member, Spartacus residents association, Jaynagar. "We are gearing up to ensure that polls this time will make a difference at least in wards, where RWAs are active."

With the election notification coming out on Monday, more than hundred resident welfare associations, who had earlier restricted themselves to voting, have pulled their socks for other roles too. Residents welfare associations, who met on Sunday after the State Election Commission's say on polls, have set their agenda for BBMP polls scheduled on March 28.

Several RWAs, in Koramangla, HSR Layout, Jaynagar , Bhanashankariu00a0 and FORWARD (Federation of Resident Welfare Associations of Ward) in Bellandur, have kept an option of contesting open polls.

"We have no choice but to contest, if we don't have a better candidate," said Muralidhar, member FORWARD, a resident's association in Bellandur. "We will watch out for the random list of candidates, and then take a call on candidates from our side to contest polls."

The RWAs will put minute details pertaining to candidates in their respective residential areas, which include aspects like their education, success and failures (if candidates are active in politics), their vision and experience in various fields on paper. This will be circulated as hand-bills in RWA meets and communicated using online tools to reach maximum number of residents choose a better candidate.

Leaders with vision

"We want our leaders to have vision," said Ramesh, member of another RWA. "We want them to keep us happy for the next five years. Hence we will try to dig out as much details as possible and see it reaches voters before polls. This will help us vote for a better candidate."

Aspirants gearing up for polls, on the other hand, welcome RWAs new initiative.

"This will certainly help in making of a better governing body," said Vishwanath Gowda, a BBMP poll aspirant from Ward No. 106 (Dr Rajkumar ward). "Such initiatives from RWAs would certainly encourage meritorious candidates to come out and contest polls."

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