Nermai Ani (honesty brigade), a front of many people’s organisations, has decided to field its candidates in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies and two assembly constituencies where by-elections are being held. Under the leadership of Shri SM Arasu, it has been campaigning against corruption, electoral malpractices and issues facing the people such as inflation, price rise, alcoholism, and right to basic necessities. Lok Raj Sangathan is a part of this alliance.
Nermai Ani has challenged the two fronts of the ruling establishment in Tamilnadu, the DMK-Congress led front and the AIADMK-BJP led fronts. These two fronts are being backed by the biggest monopoly houses in the state.
Nermai Ani has fielded candidates in North Chennai, Central Chennai, South Chennai, Namakkal, Karur, Madurai, Chidambaram, thanjavur, Kadalur, Ramanthapuram, Tiruppur, Sivagangai. Its allies have put up candidates in Sriperumbudur and Turvannamalai. In addition it is contesting the Perambur and Tiruporur assembly by-elections.
Nermai Ani is not new to the electoral arena. In the 2016 Tamilnadu assembly elections the front contested in many constituencies as well as in the 2017 by-elections. In both the elections Nermai Ani exposed the malpractices of the main ruling and opposition parties in the state, the AIADMK and DMK.
One of the candidates is Shri ML Ravi, a lawyer by profession, who is contesting from the North Chennai constituency under the slogan “Democracy or Aristocracy?” He is the President of Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi and a member of the All-India Council of Lok Raj Sangathan.
Shri Ravi has consistently fought for electoral reforms. He has exposed corruption and malpractices during elections. It is his strong belief that the prevailing legal and political system have to be thoroughly renewed to eliminate social injustice.
In 2017, he contested the by-election held in Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency, after the demise of the former Chief Minister Jayalalitha.
He had also filed a petition in the High Court, opposing the spending of a huge amount of public money in the construction of a memorial for Jayalalitha, when she was under investigation for corruption at the time of her death.
In the forthcoming elections the constituents of Nermai Ani have put forward demands for quality education, people-friendly and quality health care delivery, increasing job opportunities through small scale industrial development, end to corruption, use of MP development fund for much-needed projects, eradication of poverty and eradication of ills of alcoholism.
Lok Raj Sangathan supports such people’s candidates who have boldly come forward to use the platform of elections to reject the main fronts of the ruling establishment. They are questioning the current political and electoral system, challenging the domination of the ruling class parties with their immense money and muscle power.
