PUDUCHERRY: Outgoing Rajya Sabha member P Kannan had attended 53 per cent of House sittings as against the national average of 78 per cent for MPs.
According to a press release from P Joseph Victor Raj, coordinator of Puducherry Election Watch (PEW), Kannan attended 13 debates, including those on attack on 35 Indian fishermen and arrest by Sri Lankan Navy; child marriages in Kerala; Official Languages Bill, 2012; international treaties; among others. He raised only one question on Anti Goondas Bill, 2009, as against the national average of 343. PEW while congratulating N Gokulakrishnan, the Rajya Sabha MP elect, expressed hopes that he would fare well.
Meanwhile, PEW will shortly start a campaign to ensure free and fair 2016 Assembly elections and urged the political parties to nurse and field clean, honest, capable candidates. In the past, PEW has successfully conducted such ‘Election Watch’ campaigns for 2011 Assembly elections and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
PEW is a non-partisan and non-political organisation and network, believing in the need for good, effective politicians and healthy political parties, the statement read, adding that PEW did not target individual politicians or parties but worked with the system.