Actor Upendra rides on the idea of people-centric governance

MANGALURU:

Actor Upendra

, aka Uppi to his legion of fans, is a self-confessed worker on a mission. Through his registered non-recognised outfit – Uttama Prajakeeya Party – he wants 28 candidates across Karnataka to become neither leaders nor servants, but workers. He’s hoping to ride into the hearts of voters with his party symbol, the autorickshaw.


Promoting Vijay Shreenivas, a Bengaluru-based travel agency owner and party candidate for

Dakshina Kannada constituency

on Wednesday, Uppi said the party is striving to bring in 100% transparency in governance. “Our campaign revolves round a simple pamphlet which seeks demands of constituents rather than us force the manifesto down their throats,” he said, adding, “We don’t believe in a manifesto that’s not sacrosanct and one that’s enforceable by law.”

Unlike candidates of other parties who pour in crores on campaigns, Uppi says his candidates may spend a maximum of Rs 50,000 against an upper limit of Rs 75 lakh that EC permits. “We’re here to promote participatory democracy where people tell us their needs, place that before the administration, who draw up budget, an action plan and implement it on the Swiss governance model,” he said.

“We’re not driven by voteshare politics, but by an idea that people should be true masters of their fate which their elected representatives deliver for the larger common good,” he said.

The party believes in sowing seeds of change. “We’re not worried about politics of mahagathbandhan for our mahagathbandhan is with the electorate,” he said. The party, he added, will strive for people-centric governance, he added.