The world's largest democracy is witnessing its 15th Loksabha elections. 714 million Citizens will vote to elect 543 candidates as their representatives to the Parliament of the country. Out of 5 Phases, 2 phases have ended and the third one is scheduled for 30th April.

We need to exercise our power of index with utmost responsibility, as it won't cost us personally much; but it may cost the nation dearly if we decide to stay indoors or do not make a well informed choice.

As time goes on, we are maturing as Citizens. Today we all

know that India needs Citizen-Leaders. We are aware that in the past we were not able to meaningfully engage with our elected representatives and therefore development needs have remained largely unaddressed even after 60 years of independence. Misuse of power, ineffective governance and corruption have come to characterise politics in India. To change this picture, let us first of all be informed.

Click here to see the power point presentation on Right to Vote.

Based on the role that a Member of Parliament will play in government, here is a checklist which will enable you to choose the right Member of Parliament for your constituency.

Step 1: Decide what you are looking for in a candidate.

Apart from representing the concerns of their constituencies in parliament, MPs are meant to legislate on the key issues facing the nation, question and hold the government of the day to account and monitor the use of the public purse. 

We think that candidates must be assessed based on:

1. The positions they take on national issues.
2. Understanding the concerns of their constituency
3. Qualities of leadership and integrity
4. Experience they bring to office
5. Track record of Public Service

All factors are equally important. 

Step 2: Find the candidates for your constituency.

First find out which candidates are standing for election in your constituency. For Gujarat State, you may click on http://myneta.info/gujarat. You will find the details of all candidates with the reliable comparison of their affidavits. Newspapers are another source of information. 

Step 3: Sources of information about the candidates.

Put together information about the candidates from various sources which may include:- campaign literature, including campaign Web sites; voter information websites like www.adrindia.org; press reports in newspapers, television and radio; advertisements and candidates interviews/speeches.

Step 4: Evaluate candidates’ stands on national issues as well as constituency concerns: 

Passing and modifying legislation is central to the role of a MP. Look at their responses to the Key National issues found in the Candidate Interview/questionnaire in the information you have gathered. Are their responses clear and backed with an action plan or evasive and general?

If the candidate has been in parliament before look at the information provided on their attendance, the number of questions they asked, the debates they participated in, whether they made the special effort to initiate a private member bill on an issue they cared about and the committees they were a part of . This information is also available on the Lok Sabhas website http://loksabha.nic.in

1. Seek the opinions of others in your community who keep track of political campaigns, find out which candidate they support and why.
2. Opinion polls taken to evaluate public support for the different candidates reveal who is leading at a certain point in the race.

Step 7: Sorting it all out.

Review the information and compare all the candidates. Ask yourself these final questions.

1. Which candidate demonstrated the most knowledge on the issues?
2. Which candidates' view on the issues do you agree with the most?
3. Who ran the fairest campaign and seems to demonstrate integrity?
4. Which candidate has the leadership qualities you are looking for? (Consider administrative skill, vision and ability to implement).