Me-too groups set to take Brand Anna to polls

Mumbai, Sept. 30: The big, bad world of elections may not be for Anna Hazare but franchises inspired by him are bringing Brand Anna to the hustings.
Fortified with "Anna's blessings", a group of social activists based in Pimpri-Chinchwad ' Mee Anna Hazare Front ' will fight the civic poll in that area of Maharashtra.
Another Anna-inspired formation in Pune city ' the Pune Nagrik Sangathana ' is seeking his go-ahead for the city municipal elections. Anna has promised to meet them after Navratri.
The twin towns of Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district lie about 20km north-west of Pune city. The Pune district civic polls will be held next February.
Ten days ago, Pimpri-Chinchwad Independent councillor Maruti Bhapkar travelled some 100km to visit Hazare in his village, Ralegan Siddhi.
"We went to meet him on September 21. Anna has given us his go-ahead and blessed us. He has promised to come to Pimpri-Chinchwad and campaign for our candidates. He instructed us to keep the agitation against corruption peaceful under any circumstance," he said.
Bhapkar, a member of the Hazare front, and his 3,000 supporters were at the forefront of the Jan Lokpal bill protests in August. The front, an umbrella organisation of several social groups, claims it mobilised over a lakh people to come out on the streets and protest.
Manav Kamble, the president of Nagari Hakka Suraksha Samiti, a partner of the Hazare front, said the front was trying to register itself as a party.
"If permission comes through soon, we will go into the polls as a party. If not, our candidates will contest as Independents. Corruption in the civic body will be our major election plank. Our front will provide a forum for people who want a new political alternative," he said.
Kamble said Hazare would be invited to campaign for candidates. "The Hazare 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."
The Hazare front is seeking candidates with a clean image, no criminal record and knowledge of 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," Bhapkar said.
"It is mandatory for the candidate to organise ward meetings every month. The candidate must have a strong will to fight corruption."
Bhapkar, who has been a councillor for the last five years, has inspired Pune Nagrik Sangathana, a front of 20 NGOs in Pune city, to take part in the elections.
"We have been asked to meet him after Navratri. We will try our best to convince him to come and canvass for us. We will choose our candidates after that," said Vivek Velankar, a Pune-based engineer-turned-RTI activist whose NGO is part of the Pune sangathana.
"We will raise funds through donations. Our slogan will be 'Note bhi do, vote bhi do'" he said.
Though still a novelty, these Anna-inspired fronts ' there is one in Nashik as well ' are being perceived as serious contenders by many in the state Congress.
Pratik Patel, Maharashtra Congress leader and Union minister of state for coal, has announced a campaign to fight corruption in a bid to ride the perceived "Anna wave" in the state.
On Monday, he warned party workers not to underestimate the force of Anna-inspired fronts at a district convention attended by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and MPCC president Manikrao Thakare.
"The party will suffer in the forthcoming zilla parishad and municipal corporation elections because of the Anna movement," he told party delegates from Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur districts of Maharashtra.
Chavan is expected to canvass extensively for the Pune civic elections. The Pune city municipal corporation, with a budget of Rs 3,000 crore, is the second-richest in Maharashtra, after Mumbai.

It is good that people inspired by Anna are entering the electoral fray.
However, Anna should not go about giving his support until he and the core group have vetted all the candidates who may standing for elections in his name. We should not have wolves in sheep's clothing.
Our corrupt politicians are adept in changing parties just as they change their underwear. When they start seeing that people with Anna's support are winning elections they will start entering his party in droves.
Anna should see that all the candidates who ask his support should 1) have minimum qualifications, b) be social workers c) do not have any criminal records d) should submit a declaration of their and their families wealth. In case any of their declaration is found to be false, they should be ready to resign.
He should also be willing to give his support to honest people in the regular political parties, who support his principles and are willing to vote against their parties if conditions demand.