Following repeated failure by state authorities to improve civic administration in Bengaluru, city youth led by Anil Shetty have jumped into the political fray to save the city from further woes.
Last Saturday Anil Shetty declared the launch of Nav Bharat Democratic Party which he leads as National President. “The Nav Bharat Democratic Party enables youth to be equal decision-makers in politics, in a landscape where political and administrative decisions are monopolised by seniors who appear to be out of sync with civic reality. Our party will empower city youth in their quest to save Bengaluru by solving its civic issues.”
“Nav Bharat Democratic Party’s first goal is ‘Nagara Swaraj’ : Urban Self-Governance in Bengaluru”, says Anil Shetty.
Nav Bharat Democratic Party opened its first ward office in Domlur in a hearteningly unassuming ceremony in this era of ostentatious political events. The youth present to show their support for the party were from diverse socio-economic backgrounds – a conscious move away from political events being dominated by a single community. “The Domlur Ward Office is the first of 198 Ward Offices that Nav Bharat Democratic Party is committed to establishing”, said Shivakumar, party’s ward level leader. . “The primary goal of each Ward Office is to engage area citizens in good civic processes through local leaders who are community-minded.”
Nav Bharat Deocratic Party will also build people’s consensus towards pressurising the Government of Karnataka to amend the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976 to give Bengaluru city Mayor and Deputy Mayor a five year term with enhanced power in order to be able to serve the city better. The Party has demanded that an expert committee should review the (conformity legislation of 74th constitutional amendment in KMC), as well as the reconstitution of area sabhas and ward committees. The party also demands the devolution of all 18 powers granted to urban local bodies by the Constitution, so that alongside Bengaluru, Mangalore, Mysore, Belgaum, Tumkur, and Hubli-Dharwad will also be truly self-governing.
Nav Bharat Democratic Party claims to be a youngest political party in the country with 29 year old Bengaluru boy Anil Shetty as its National President. Dressed in white shirt, blue jeans and a smart watch, Anil Shetty was flanked by his young team when addressing the press: “Nav Bharat is driven by the energy of youngsters and the wisdom of elders. The party aims to form the youngest elected city council in the country by winning a majority in the 2020 BBMP election. For now we will focus on building the party base and culture by engaging the younger generation in building leadership at various levels.”
Despite Nav Bharat Democratic Party’s present focus on building Bengaluru, its slogan “Nava Bengaluru, Nava Karnataka, Nav Bharat” indicates the team’s eventual state-wide and nation-wide aspiration. The party takes the battle to the street staright away by announcing “Jala Yatra – a movement against the city’s Water Mafia”. Recently, the party had investigated and criticized the failure of the Siddaramaiah government’s Anna Bhagya Scheme.
In his typically powerful oration, Anil Shetty appealed to the city youth to join his party and help build a socially progressive, economically developed, and efficiently governed India.
Bengaluru youth launch new political party to fix the city
