The Lokpal Bill’s implementation “will ensure punitive action against the corrupt, but unless the political system is opened up, there will be no curative action,” Congress general secretary Ajay Maken told The Hindu, making a strong pitch for the “primaries” project launched by party vice president Rahul Gandhi.
Unless there is reform in the selection of candidates, as the Congress is planning through its “primaries” pilot, Mr. Maken said it will not be possible to yield results merely through the passage of anti-graft laws —the two must go together.
In government functioning transparency was being brought in through the enactment of the RTI and anti-corruption laws, but transparency in the political system could not be brought about till Congress workers had a say in electing their candidates, Mr. Maken said.
Reforms in government
He pointed out that the primaries system “will empower the party workers in candidates selection and people will rise up the ladder through the organisation, “ adding, “This will complete the full cycle of reforms in government and political system and cleanse it — this is what Mr. Gandhi wants.”
With the initial selection of constituencies for the Congress’s “primaries” project not finding favour with some party MPs whose seats were on the list, the scheme came under a cloud. But with three sitting party MPs — Ajay Maken (New Delhi), party general secretary Gurudas Kamat (Mumbai North West) and party secretary Meenakshi Natarajan (Mandsaur) offering their seats for the experiment, the project appears to be on course.
On Monday, a final meeting chaired by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad will be held here to decide the second seat in Delhi: in the first draft list, the two seats held by Union Ministers Kapil Sibal and Krishna Tirath were included. When they protested, the seats were dropped. But now, party sources said, if no one volunteers his/ her seat, it could happen by a draw of lots. All seven seats in Delhi are held by the Congress.
With the scheme envisaging that the party’s current and former office-bearers vote for the candidate, Mr. Maken said the new process would help to open up the system, something that Mr. Gandhi has been working on, and “end the high command culture” by empowering grassroots workers. “Rahulji's idea of choosing candidates through primaries,” Mr. Maken said, “is in line with his focus on opening up the system. He wants to put an end to the high command culture in the party in decision-making.”
He also said that criteria would be drawn for selection of seats now that some of those whose constituencies had been selected initially wanted to know the basis for making such a choice.
