The Mee Anna Hazare Front, a group of social activists of Pimpri-Chinchwad area who had supported veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare during his campaign against corruption, has decided to contest the forthcoming civic polls in the township.
The president of Nagari Hakka Suraksha Samiti (NHSS), Manav Kamble, its senior member and independent corporator, Maruti Bhapkar, and 3,000 activists have already started preparations.
Bhapkar travelled to Ralegan Siddhi on Wednesday and met Hazare to discuss the matter. “Anna has given his go-ahead,’’ Bhapkar said, adding that the veteran Gandhian has also directed him to continue with the peaceful agitation against corruption.
The Mee Anna Hazare Front had organised protests at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk in Pimpri during Hazare’s fast on the Jan Lokpal Bill campaign. A large number of people from various walks of life, including lawyers, doctors, students and entrepreneurs, had participated in the rallies and agitation.
According to Kamble, the name of the party on which the candidates would contest the polls would be decided later. “A proposal has been mooted that the party should be named Vikas Aaghadi, but we are yet to take the decision on the matter,’’ he added.
Kamble said Hazare would be invited to canvass for the candidates during electioneering. “The front will put up 128 candidates in all 64 panels (wards) in Pimpri-Chinchwad area and corruption in the civic body would be the major election plank,’’ he added.
Kamble said, “The candidates who want to contest the election from our front will have to meet certain norms like a clean image without any criminal record. He should know the problems plaguing the wards. The candidate can be a political novice, but he must provide a supporting letter signed by at least 100 citizens from the ward he wants to contest from. It is mandatory for the candidate to organise ward meetings every month. The candidate must have a strong will to fight corruption,’’ he added.
