IAC claims 76 pc people support its political foray

New Delhi: Contradicting Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption on Monday made public the results of a survey in which they claimed majority of the people -- 76 per cent of those surveyed -- were in favour of the movement forming a political party.

The results were published a day after Hazare, who will be reaching Delhi on Tuesday for talks with activists on taking forward the movement, gave yet another sign of distancing himself from the group's political foray by asking those planning to join him to contact him in Ralegan Siddhi.

According to the IAC, 5,61,701 out of 7,37,041 people or 76 per cent of those surveyed were in favour of forming the party. The naysayer were 1,75,340, which was 24 per cent.

The survey results contradict Hazare's views, which he expressed in a video post, that he feels that a large number of people are against forming a political party.

In the video, Hazare told a group of activists opposing formation of a party that "some people are saying that a party should be formed but a large number are saying that it is not right to form a party or contest elections."

The 74-year-old activist, in a blog post on Sunday, also said politics will not deliver a better future for people and asked those planning to join his anti-corruption movement could contact him in Ralegan Siddhi.

Commenting on the survey results, Kejriwal said in a statement that they will put before Hazare the survey results during a meeting on September 19.

"Hazare had told us that he will take a decision on the next course of action after getting the views of public on the issue. We will inform him about people's views. The meeting will decide on the method of the political alternative," he said.

Before the Wednesday meeting, Hazare is also likely to meet volunteers who are opposed to forming a political party on Tuesday evening.

Erstwhile Team Anna was divided on the issue of the movement taking a political turn with Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan on one side and Kiran Bedi and others on the other side.

Hazare, who disbanded the team on August 6 after the indefinite fast was called off, has been maintaining that he will never form a party or contest elections.