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CANDIDATE SELECTION PROCEDURE

Selection Criteria

Candidate selection will be based on the following criteria:

Integrity as reflected in the 4C’s – Character, Corruption, Communalism & Criminality — and as assessed by the Integrity Committee.

Track record of social and political work in the area, as verified through local volunteers’ feedback.

Performance in the various events, public contact campaigns and publicity of Swaraj India (for members), as recorded by Delhi organisation; or performance potential as assessed by Screening and Selection Committees (for non-members).

Leadership qualities and suitability for the locality as assessed by the Screening and Selection Committees.

Criterion 1 is a qualifying/disqualifying criterion, while the rest are competitive criteria. Criterion 4 can override rankings based on criteria 2 and 3 in exceptional cases, but none of the criteria can override a disqualification due to criterion 1.

Selection Structure

A three-tier structure will be responsible for evaluating and finalising all candidates.

Screening Committees

Three separate committees, one for each municipal corporation. To review and qualify/disqualify all received applications; to assess and evaluate all valid applications; and to interview and rate applicants on defined parameters. And to make a provisional candidate (or candidate shortlist) recommendation for each ward.

Selection Committees

To review the recommendations of each Screening Committee, and to finalise, confirm and announce the Swaraj India candidate for each ward.

Integrity Committees

To review and rule on any complaints regarding the announced candidates received within a stipulated period, or to respond to any reference received from Selection Committee; the final Integrity Committee ruling being mandatory and binding on Swaraj India.

Selection Instruments

Candidate Application Form (Preliminary)

This preliminary candidate application form is to be filled in by the applicant for review by the Screening and Selection Committees.

Candidate Application Form (Detailed)

 To be filled in by the selected candidate, for hosting on the Swaraj India website, and which will be the basis for publicly inviting complaints and feedback regarding the selected candidate

Selection Process

Screening Committee(s)

  • There shall be 3 Screening Committees, one for each of East, North and South Municipal Corporations.
  • Each screening committee shall consist of 5-9 members. No member of any screening committee may be related or otherwise connected to any candidate. If necessary, specific committee members may recuse themselves, or be excluded from evaluating specific candidates, in case of any relationship or connection.
  • Screening Committee shall scrutinize each application and liaise with assigned Zonal and Ward Observers as necessary, to review and verify all assertions made by the applicant, including claimed local support base and volunteer team strength. It would also factor in the feedback of local volunteers wherever a critical mass of active volunteers is present and working in the particular ward.
  • Any patently non-serious or frivolous or invalid applications may be rejected outright by the Screening Committee, after duly noting the reasons for rejection.
  • Screening will first assess the 4C’s of an applicant – Character, Corruption, Communalism & Criminality. Only upon clearing this ‘qualifying criterion’, the applicant shall be evaluated for the other criteria.
  • Upon review of all valid applications from each ward, a provisional recommendation shall be made by the Screening Committee consisting of a ranked list of all valid applicants, or a shortlist of all deserving applicants, based on multiple evaluation parameters.
  • The Screening Committee may decide to keep open the application period for each ward as long as it deems fit, provided that at least seven days will be given for nomination after the first public declaration inviting applicaations and at least 24 hours notice will be given before closing nomination for any ward.

Selection Committee

  • The Selection Committee shall consist of 5-7 members. The Chairpersons of all the Screening Committees will be ex-officio members of the Selection Committee. No member of the Selection Committee may be related to or otherwise connected to any applicant. If necessary, specific committee members may recuse themselves, or be excluded from evaluating specific candidates, in case of any relationship or connection.
  • The Selection Committee shall review the recommended shortlist of the Screening Committee for each ward, and make a final decision on the candidate to be fielded in the election.
  • The evaluation details and the final decision of the Selection Committee for each ward shall be duly recorded.
  • The Selection Committee may devise its procedures and decision making rules.
  • The Selection Committee may, in exceptional situations, consider an application directly, after the closure of nominations and scrutiny by the screening committee. It may request the screening committee to consider the application or directly take a final decision.

Integrity Committee

  • The Integrity Committee shall consist of 5-7 members, including members of Swaraj India who are not themselves involved in the candidate selection process in any way, as well as eminent outside persons of great integrity and impeccable credentials.
  • The Integrity Committee shall receive any and all complaints, together with evidence, against declared candidates. It may also respond to any reference from the Selection Committee or take up any case suo-moto.
  •  The scope of Integrity Committee shall be limited to examining the integrity of the candidate in terms of 4 Cs — Character, Corruption, Communalism & Criminality. It shall not go into merits of demerits of other criteria of selection such as track record of work, leadership qualities and potential or suitability for the ward.
  • The Integrity Committee may devise its own procedures, but it shall give the relevant candidate the opportunity to reply to any allegations against him/her.
  • The Integrity Committee’s decision, arrived at after assessing all evidence, representations and depositions, shall be final and binding, and not subject to appeal. The Committee may review its own decision.
  • In the event of a candidate being disqualified by the Integrity Committee, the Selection Committee shall take all necessary steps to assign an alternative candidate. In the event of further objections or complaints, such an alternative candidate too shall be subject to the review and ruling of the Integrity Committee.