VOTEINDIA is a non-partisan people's movement comprising of concerned individuals and civil society organizations across the country. Its objective is to make citizens realize the need for systemic reforms and bring about a significant improvement in the existing political and governance system by overcoming the current crisis in governance. VOTEINDIA provides the necessary platform and effective tools for citizen participation.

VOTEINDIA has no affiliation to any political party.

At the heart of any healthy democracy are its citizens. Yet in our country, all too often, the ordinary citizen seems disempowered and marginal, with little recourse to rights and institutional support. The legal channels are long, tortuous and cumbersome, with little hope of justice unless one has both money and influence. The ordinary citizen is therefore left feeling cynical and alienated in this democratic monolith. Ironically, even politicians - supposedly the drivers of the democratic engine - more often than not get lost, taking to power and corruption rather than public good. In fact the system has become a kind of spider's web in which those on the outside neither want to nor can get inside and those on the inside don't seem to know how to get out. And each group watches the other with undisguised suspicion.

Yet we have so much to be proud of. Despite all the ills of democracy, the spirit of freedom is strong and robust in our country. More than half of our population is young, energetic and looking for opportunities to excel and improve the lot of their people. Many individuals and organizations across the length and breadth of the country are unsung heroes doing whatever they can to better the lives of those around them. Millions living abroad - moved perhaps by nostalgia or the spirit of service - wish to give back a little to the country they call their own. By identifying some of the root causes of India's political and governance problems, VOTEINDIA attempts to bring together all these people and individuals to become one strong, forceful voice of change on a common platform of action. Can we not all come together to become one strong, forceful voice of change rather than being disparate, often conflicting whistles in the dark? The idea behind VOTEINDIA is just that.

• To change the present first-past-the-post-system (FPTP) to a mixed system of Proportional Representation (PR) while retaining some elements of the current constituency based FPTP system to ensure fairer representation and better choice of candidates, and prevent fragmentation of our polity along caste and communal lines.

• Direct election of the heads of government (at the state level) by the people, so that such a government
  • will be accountable to the people
  • will not be under pressure from MLAs for survival
  • has in-built checks to prevent abuse of office

• To campaign for transparency and democratic functioning of political parties.

In the initial phase the Campaign will be primarily focused in 8 cities and surrounding states. It will thereafter be expanded across whole country. The 8 cities are :

• Ahmedabad
• Bangalore
• Chennai
• Delhi
• Hyderabad
• Kolkatta
• Mumbai
• Pune

Indian citizens and organizations as well as people of Indian origin who share the goals of VOTEINDIA can become participants or partners or supporters.

Participants: Any individual subscribing to the goals and objectives of VOTEINDIA and actively participating in the campaign

Partner: Any organization subscribing to the goals and objectives of VOTEINDIA and actively participating in the campaign.

Supporters: Organizations or individuals who share the goals, and wish to extend support of any kind in furtherance of the campaign.

The movement will have a National Core group, which assumes responsibility for the conduct of the campaign, enlisting support and evolving and implementing strategies for achieving the objectives.

In each city / Local Area, there will be a local group assuming responsibilities of the campaign. This Local Core Group will implement strategies evolved by the National Core Group with sufficient freedom of action and flexibility to suit local conditions. Each local core group will be represented in the National Core Group

Any individual having made outstanding contribution to the promotion and strengthening of democratic values may be invited to be a member of the advisory council(s).

The Core Groups will have a Coordinator to execute the campaign and fulfill the mandate given by the respective Core Groups from time to time.

The National core group will establish a secretariat for better coordination. City / Local Area core groups will be free to decide their internal governance mechanisms.

Each Core group will meet once in three months at a place and time decided by the Coordinator in consultation with the members. Summary of proceedings will be prepared and circulated to all the members of the core group, with copies to National Secretariat of VOTEINDIA.

Foundation for Democratic Reforms (FDR) will open an account in Hyderabad dedicated for the campaign. An initial corpus will be deposited by FDR. All resources specifically mobilized for VOTEINDIA will be deposited in the account, and FDR will have the responsibility to account for them The National Core Group will periodically review and approve the accounts.