The non-political organisation, Puducherry Election Watch (PEW), has said that former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament P. Kannan’s attendance was 53 per cent, which was below the national average of 78 per cent for the Upper House.

In a press release, the organisation said that Mr. Kannan had participated in 13 debates, whereas the national average is 57.2, based on data from the PRS Legislative Research. It further said that Mr. Kannan had raised only one question (on Assent to Anti-Goonda Bill, 2009), while the national average is 343.

PEW also announced the launch of a campaign to ensure a free and fair Assembly Elections in Puducherry in 2016.

Congratulated

Congratulating the new MP N. Gokulakrishnan, PEW, requested him to ‘take active part in the Parliament sessions for the welfare of the people of Union Territory of Puducherry’ and hoped he would perform better than his predecessor.

Regarding the 2016 Assembly Elections, the organisation appealed to the youth to enrol themselves as voters through the website of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer Puducherry.

PEW would be conducting ‘Election Watch’ campaigns as done earlier to bring in ‘clean and capable candidates and to eliminate the misuse of money power and bribing of voters.’ It made a request to political parties to ‘nurse and field clean, honest, capable candidates’ in the forthcoming elections.

P. Joseph Victor Raj, Coordinator, PEW, has also invited the public to send suggestions for strategies and activities by email [email protected].