Amritsar: As leaders shift loyalties, need felt to have anti-defection law

Manmeet Singh Gill

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Amritsar, April 6

With at least 28 MC councillors shifting their allegiance to the Aam Aadmi Party after the formation of its government in the state, the party has strengthened its claim for the post of the city Mayor now. But at the same time this move has raised a serious question regarding the need for having an anti-defection law for representatives in local bodies.

Residentspeak

The elected representatives shifting parties is a breach of voters’ faith. It is dishonoring voters’ personal faith in party-politics and integrity. PS Bhatti, Noted environmentalist and activist

The councillors are changing sides because they want to be in power and not because they believe in the development agenda or see any good in the ruling dispensation. In case an elected representative wants to change party in the middle of the term, he or she should resign and contest afresh on the new party’s ticket. Satpal Singh, A city resident

In the December 2017 elections for the Municipal Corporation, AAP had fielded candidates from 62 wards, but failed to win a single seat in the 85-member House. While most of the turncoat councillors had won on Congress ticket, four SAD and two BJP councillors are also among them.

A section of society feels that an anti-defection law, on the lines of the one already existing for state assemblies and Lok Sabha, is required to check power-hungry politicians from shifting loyalties when it suits them.

Noted environmentalist and activist PS Bhatti said: “The elected representatives shifting parties is a breach of voters’ faith. It is dishonoring voters’ personal faith in party-politics and integrity.” He said he plans to take up the matter with the Election Commission and even with courts if need arises.

A resident Satpal Singh said: “The councillors are changing sides because they want to be in power and not because they believe in the development agenda or see any good in the ruling dispensation.”

He said in case an elected representative wants to change party in the mid of the term, he or she should resign and contest afresh on the new party’s ticket.

Even a section of AAP supporters do not understand the party’s strategy as less than a year is left in the completion of the ongoing term of the House. “They are the same councillors against whom we had propagated before the elections and now they are our senior leaders,” said a party supporter.

About the law

Incorporated into the Constitution as the Tenth Schedule in 1985, the anti-defection law, as it is popularly known, aims at checking toppling of state governments by party-hopping MLAs in the ’60s and ’70s. The law punishes individual MPs and MLAs from changing party after being elected. They could be disqualified from their membership of the House by the presiding officer on a complaint by any member of the same House. A member is deemed to have defected if he or she gives of primary membership of his party or does not obeys party during voting in the House. However if at least two-third members of the legislative group of a political party decide to merge with any other political party, they could not be punished under the anti-defection law.