“Don’t take it too seriously” Says Loksatta JP, about his own Manifesto!

“Don’t take it too seriously,” is what Malkajigiri’s MP candidate from Lok Satta, Jayaprakash Narayan said, when cornered on one of the points of his manifesto, leaving a vast number of electorate stunned.

Residents of Alwal had invited Narayan to a public interaction to question him on his party’s manifesto after many residents raised objections to the party’s promise to pay pension to the families of people who die from excessive alcohol consumption.

JP, who was in the eye of a storm recently after a sting operation by a news channel showed his Delhi-unit president bragging about his ability to influence top leaders and work for certain vested interests, sought to defend the manifesto, saying it would cost the state only Rs 70 crore to fund the pension.

That did not convince the residents who said that the promise only encourages liquor consumption. He however added he cannot backtrack on the promise as party’s candidates have already begun campaigning and made the promise in their constituencies.

Next, residents demanded to know how he would ensure 24-hour power supply in the next three years, to which JP said it could be achieved by fixing transmission loses. Claiming that he has achieved that in the past in West Godavari district, he said: “The losses were cut down from 37% to 18%,” while adding that Gujarat has managed to do the same and therefore the state has 24-power supply.

But that too, did not convince the members from Greater Alwal Allied Service Association (GASA). “A single party with very few representatives cannot implement everything. We presented to him our own manifesto, which had several local issues,” said GV Rao, general secretary of GASA.

Source: ToI