I-PAC Launches National Agenda Forum: Team Prashant Kishor on Hunt For Ideal PM Candidate in 2019
Leaders in the fray include incumbent PM Narendra Modi, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) supremo Sitaram Yechury, among others.
New Delhi, July 17: The Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the organisation headed by poll strategist Prashant Kishor, is on a hunt to find the ideal prime ministerial candidate for 2019. His team has launched the National Agenda Forum (NAF), where common citizens are invited to suggest who should be the one leading them into the next Lok Sabha elections.
NAF aims to mobilise one crore citizens through its online and offline campaigns. The group, however, wants the participants to comprehend the '18-point Constructive Programme' written by Mahatma Gandhi in 1945. The charter, said I-PAC in its statement, is essential towards achieving the goal of Poorna Swaraj.
How to participate in the NAF campaign?
Suggestions, inputs and votes for 'your choice of leader' is invited at the group's website - indianpac.com/naf/. Voting has begun from June 11 and will conclude at August 14.
Among the suggested leaders on the page include PM Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, West Bengal CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, CPI(M) chief Sitaram Yechury, DMK working president MK Stalin, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BSP supremo Mayawati.
Before voting, however, you are required to share Mahatma Gandhi's 18-point charter on your social media handles via the NAF page.
Which leader has so far emerged as the ideal choice for 2019?
Votes cast so far has revealed Narendra Modi as the top choice among the netizens, followed by Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi.
The NAF has also added an option where the voter can name the leader of his/her choice, who is not on the list uploaded on the group's website.
What after the online voting gets over?
The volunteers of NAF, comprising of activists and student leaders from across 560 districts of India, will meet the top-voted candidate in September-October and convince him to enter the Lok Sabha race as the prime ministerial candidate.
If the leader agrees, a manifesto will be charted in January 2019. The I-PAC will head the election campaign.
Speculations are rife that Kishor may end up campaigning for Modi again - as he did in 2014 - since the incumbent PM is likely to emerge as the most-preferred among netizens.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 17, 2018 12:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).