Shivaji Raju Pothuri, Hyderabad, AP – Interview

Leaders like Shivaji Raju exemplify Lok Satta’s commitment to honest and nepotism-free politics. Shivaji Raju joined the Lok Satta party as a commoner without any influential background in 2009, and by 2010 he was heading the entire team of Vidyarthi Satta. Today, aged only 29, he is the State President for Yuva Satta and a member of several decision making committees within Lok Satta. As he himself asks, “Is this even possible in most other parties?”. Outside of Lok Satta, Shivaji Raju gained state-wide recognition after he and his team exposed the 42 crore scam in the AP government’s ‘Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu’ scheme. He is currently leading campaigns to promote the involvement of youth in politics.

Shivaji Raju can be reached via email and Facebook. Find out more about him and his work through this interview by Sravanthi Yalamanchili.

Sravanthi: Shivaji garu, Tell us about your background and why did you join Lok Satta?

Shivaji: I was born and brought up in Hyderabad. I finished my degree from Wesley College. During my student days, I used to volunteer for Akhila Bharata Vidhya Parishad ( ABVP), a student wing of BJP . Slowly, I realized it is no different from a typical political party whose motive is power and money. So, I went into inactive mode after college. In 2009, I happened to listen to a speech of JP garu in Quthbullapur Constituency. I was in fact travelling in a bus and got down to see what’s going on. That speech of JP garu and ideologies laid out by him inspired me very much. So, I joined the Lok Satta Party as a volunteer and later as a paid member.

Sravanthi: How was your experience like after joining Lok Satta? Was it similar or different from your experience as a student volunteer of BJP?

Maheswarapu Gattayya, Warangal, AP – Interview

Maheswarapu Gatayya is the District President of Lok Satta, Warangal. He is the party’s candidate for Parakala constituency in the AP Assembly by-elections of June 2012, and for Bhupalpalli constituency in 2009. He was interviewed by Sravanthi Yalamanchili in May 2012.

Sravanthi: Gattayya garu, why did you decide to join politics?

Jonnalagadda Jaya Bhagyam, Prattipadu, Guntur – Interview

Jonnalagadda Jaya Bhagyam is the Lok Satta Party candidate for the Prattipadu constituency in the Assembly by-elections of June 2012. She was interviewed by Sravanthi Yalamanchili in May 2012.

Sravanthi: Jaya Bhaghyam garu, what is your background? What inspired you to join politics?

Jaya Bhagyam: I am a commoner. I do not have a political background. So why did I join politics?

Nellore Narasaiah, Kovur, Nellore, AP – Profile (Election Special)

Nellore Narasaiah is the Lok Satta Party candidate for the Kovur constituency in the Assembly by-elections of March 2012. This profile was narrated by him and scribed by Prakash Kapila. Audio of another interview/interaction with Mr. Narasaiah and campaign team here.

Personal bio:

My father was a farmer. I am a farmer. We are from Totapalli mandal in Nellore district. I studied up to 10th class and have spent my life doing the labors involved in agriculture. Each and every aspect of farming, I have done with my hands and faced all the ups and downs. I moved to Nellore town because of marriage relations and children’s education. My son is MCA and my daughter is MSc(microbiology) and she is getting married on March 9, 2012. I enjoyed a carefree life till I was 20 and fulfilled family responsibilities till 49. Now, I want to dedicate myself to the public.

Politics:

The present political system has degraded into a business with higher class people manipulating the system to benefit themselves and their own people. The primary job of politicians is to figure out which parts of the government machinery are not working properly and to make it work properly, by creating laws when necessary.

Mohd. Ghouse Moinuddin, Mahbubnagar, AP – Profile (Election Special)

Mohammad Ghouse Moinuddin is the Lok Satta Party candidate for the Mahbubnagar constituency in the Assembly by-elections of March 2012. Audio of an interview/interaction with Mr. Ghouse and the LSP campaign team here. .

Mr. Ghouse is a native of Mahbubnagar, and has been chosen by the party because of his sincere concern and work for social welfare, good local knowledge, reputation and support, dynamism in decision-making, and able communication skills. An honest and successful businessman in the field of education, he has focused on programs catering to the socially and economically backward sections. Currently based in Hyderabad for business reasons, he previously contributed to the Mahbubnagar edition of the Eenadu daily newspaper for two years, and gained in-depth knowledge of the local issues. Equally proficient in three languages – Urdu, Telugu, and English, he is able to articulate and connect with all sections of citizens.

His driving principle in politics is clear – ‘All that matters in politics is People’ and he believes that the job of a leader is to be a bridge between the people and the government. Vexed with the present-day politicians of most parties who are caught in a cynical pursuit of power and money, he had been considering joining active politics since 2009. He wanted to associate with a clean party and Lok Satta stood out for him as most promising. He had been following its work from a long time, since being impressed with articles written by Dr. JP in Eenadu many years ago. The socio-political analysis and proposals for reforms in these articles attracted him primarily because of how insightful and practical they were. He had noticed that Lok Satta works on raising important issues and also articulates well-considered solutions for them.

Madhav Kshatriya, Vijayawada/Hyderabad – Profile

Madhav Kshatriya is a Member of the State Working Committee of the Lok Satta Party. He comes from a family with a record of public service and political experience. The famous Vavilala Gopalakrishanayya, contemporary of Tanguturi Prakasam and a 4-time MLA is Madhav’s grandfather. Because of this background, Madhav has been a keen observer of politics right since his childhood and innately knows that good politics can be the biggest game changer for all the ills plaguing the country. He has also seen Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan interact with his grandfather from close quarters even before Lok Satta became a political party.

Madhav has always wanted to be a politician. Even while completing his MBA in Australia and working as a Senior Manager at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, he has nurtured his goal of getting into politics full-time. This happened in 2009 when he put his career on hold and plunged into full-time politics. Naturally, he chose the Lok Satta Party.

Madhav Kshatriya, Vijayawada/Hyderabad – Interview

Madhav Kshatriya is a member of the State Working Committee of Lok Satta Party. He was interviewed by Raghuveer Mukkamalla in January 2012. Madhav can be reached via email or Facebook.

Raghuveer: Madhav garu, tell us about yourself.

Madhav: I am a native of Guntur and hail from a family of freedom fighters. My mother is a retired professor, my wife works in the IT industry and I have a kid who attends school.

I was a Senior Manager at Indian School of Business. I have an MBA from a University in Australia and worked in that country as well. After I decided to join politics full-time, I gave up my career aspirations and joined the Lok Satta Party.

Raghuveer: Freedom fighters family, you say! Tell us more.