Anna Hazare to write to PM Manmohan Singh on electoral reforms

RALEGAN SIDDHI: Meeting for the first time here, Anna Hazare and his core group today decided that he will write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on electoral reforms and performance audit of MPs, including the right to recall of elected representatives and right to reject.

Hazare, who is leading a campaign for a strong Lokpal bill to check corruption, will write to the Prime Minister seeking his views on these issues as also the land acquisition bill.

Top members of the core group, including Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Santosh Hegde, Kiran Bedi and Medha Patkar, attended the meeting held for the first time in the village where Hazare has done a lot of work.

"On behalf of the movement, Anna Hazare will be writing to the Prime Minister seeking his views on the annual performance audit of MPs, right to reject, right to recall and land acquisition bill," Kejriwal told a press conference at the end of the proceedings on the first day of the two-day meeting.

Kejriwal said Hazare will seek Singh's views on performance audit of MPs and on that basis whether there is a need for right to reject or right to recall. He said for right to reject, there was no need for any change in law.

On the issue of right to reject and recall, he said, Team Anna members will meet Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi soon.