Why Meera ... by an Aam Aadmi

Why Meera ....

(By Ankur Jhaveri ankur1001@gmail.com)

Who is Ankur ? An Aam Aadmi off-course, just like you & me !

With less than 4 days for the elections in Mumbai South, there may be an amazing level of confusion in the minds of Mumbaikars as to whom to vote for. For Mumbai South residents, I'll try and make it easy to decide:

Here are 8 reasons you should vote for Meera Sanyal:

1. Highly qualified

With an MBA from INSEAD and an Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School, Meera is one of the few highly qualified people standing for the elections. People would vote for someone because they may turn out to be good economists. Well, we don’t see anyone else knowing finance and management better than someone who’s served as the CEO of an international bank! Acting as the CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland, she has proved her intellect to the people, and has given up a high and respectable position for one basic reason: welfare of the country! It’s time we aid her in her efforts!

2. Fresh outlook

Meera brings with her a fresh new outlook; she brings with her a no-nonsense policy; she brings with her a non-corrupt government; she brings with her a radical change. This change is what we want; it’s what we need; and this change is what we DESERVE! By pressing the jhaadu button on election day, you are not voting for Meera, nor are you voting for AAP. You are essentially voting, for change.

3. Clean image

Mumbai is sick of corruption, which has penetrated deep into the system, and needs someone with a clean image. Meera is one of the few politicians whose image is a clean slate, with no marks of corruption. Relinquishing the position of CEO is not an easy decision, and has been done by Meera only for one motive: welfare of the people! Meera has also served as President of LiberalsIndia, a non-profit that works towards improving the state of Governance in India. We don’t know how many current politicians possibly have even a similar, if not better track record!

4. Clear vision

Meera’s vision is as clear as glass: to be able to provide a decent standard of living. This means providing for things that are taken for granted: better employment opportunities, affordable housing, basic sanitation facilities, better roads, and overall, a better infrastructure. The reason why this has not been happening is because Mumbai does not have space. And the best way to get this space is to get the Mumbai Port Trust back, which is Meera’s primary objective. The Mumbai Port Trust is not just snatching away our land which can be used to develop better infrastructure, but is also causing environmental and health hazards to the city! Giving this land back to the city is the best solution to its problems. And that is precisely what Meera intends on doing!

(to read more about the Mumbai Port-lands, and how they would aid in development, visit: http://bit.ly/portgate)

5. Encouragement to entrepreneurship

Meera believes that the people of Mumbai are entrepreneurial. Mumbai is the heart of commercial activity, and the young can make it into a silicon valley of services, not just in IT but also in traditional services like banking and finance, marketing, advertising and film making. Having a rich experience of the business world, Meera would be the best choice to provide the much-needed support that the future entrepreneurs of Mumbai need. She has direct experience of doing this as she has:

• Set up and built a global BPO in India.

• Created more than 21,000 direct jobs in banking operations and technology services.

• Set up the project finance team that financed core areas of India’s infrastructure

6. Secular and non-violent

The Aam Aadmi Party is one political unit that has proved to be secular and non-violent. You wouldn’t want to vote for a party that has a previous track record of being violent or has been a perpetrator of caste-ism, would you? AAP believes in equality of all sects, and is unbiased towards any particular religion, thereby being the best alternative for voters who want a truly secular nation.

7. It makes your vote count!

The government has come up with NOTA this year. It enables the common man to choose specifically NOBODY from the candidates standing for the elections. Though an exclusive right, this should be exercised only in situations where there is no suitable candidate. With candidates like Meera Sanyal standing for the elections, in Mumbai south, a vote for NOTA is actually a vote wasted. Mumbaikars need a fresh face with a clean image; they need someone who brings about a change; they need someone with a clear vision. Meera possesses all of the above; all she needs is a chance. A chance to prove herself, to Mumbai south, to Maharashtra, and to the nation! Rather than wasting your vote on NOTA, press the jhaadu, and give her that chance. Make your vote count: You’ve always voted for ministers; now it’s time to vote for the common man.

8. Finally, she’s the best alternative

This may sound very cliché, but Meera is by far the best alternative for the people of Mumbai south. We’ll clear out why. Imagine yourself as the Managing Director of an MNC having the task of appointing a CEO. You have 4 candidates, of which one has worked in a company known for corruption, 2 have a past history of violence, and one has proved her intellect with her work. Whom would you choose? It’s that easy!

People say “look at the bigger picture”. We say “don’t do that”. Look at who is the best for YOUR constituency. Think of what you need, and understand who’s the best to provide what you need! Vote for the common man; vote for development; vote for Meera.