Jayaprakash Narayan to launch political party on October 1

Former civil servant and Lok Satta founder Jayaprakash Narayan today announced a new political party with an aim to usher in an alternative political culture and bring people's issues to the centre stage of politics. The new party has also been named Lok Satta.

"This is part of the second national freedom movement and we are in discussions with various individuals and organisations across the country to establish the party with a pan Indian presence," Jayaprakash Narayan told the media, adding that the new political entity would strictly keep away from the practice of using money to win elections.

He said that free education, healthcare for all, employment and a role in politics for the youth, doubling of rural income in five years, and social security cover for unorganised working population would be some the objectives of his new party.

He said that strengthening the true spirit of democracy and achieving good governance were to be the larger agenda for the third stage politics of the country.

The new party would be formally launched on October 1, 2006, and the youth and women are going to be the party's main focus in terms of support base, according to Narayan.

The Andhra cadre IAS officer had resigned from services in 1996 and subsequently launched Lok Satta, a non governmental organisation, which took up issues like corruption in public life, and criminalisation of politics among other things.