Open House: Shouldn’t the election commission of india take steps to stop party switching?

Politics now comes with many perks

Practical democracy these days, is based on the assumption that an individual may at times, be intelligent and rational, but an electorate, as a huge group, has no mind of its own and is always available for being led up the garden path, courtesy betrayals, pretensions, freebies and promises that are impossible to fulfill. Politicians, therefore, once elected by hook or by crook, focus only on gaining or retaining power and target their self-interest for which there is no paucity of unfair means and corrupt practices. Shifting loyalties and ditching parties is now the order of the day. There is no question of ideological differences. They are guided only by cash. In fact, politics has become a high-yielding industry, with life-long pension and all sorts of perks and privileges. And they have nothing to lose, because family members select different parties. If the husband is in the ruling group, the wife may be in the Opposition, the cardinal principle being to oppose every move of the government. The only point on which they always agree is to scuttle any attempt to introduce any electoral, administrative or police reforms which might upset their apple cart. Meanwhile, propaganda has made people accept their lot and even like it. They will never revolt and the politicians know it. The very will to revolt has died away. The voters remain happy in the false belief that they enjoy the power to choose. They will ultimately choose the one who makes the loudest noise or the one who has the power to confuse. The tragedy is that this trend towards irrationality is now spreading its arms worldwide including USA. Perhaps India had an overdose of democracy and is paying for it.

Prof Mohan Singh

Party hopping confuses voters

In today’s political era, switching from one party to another is diluting the erstwhile charm of party loyalists. The old guns of a party still continuing with their organisations are feeling disgruntled. Also, this practice is resulting in loss of confidence among voters. The general voters are feeling confused because of such practices and are so annoyed on account of it that they may even think of abstaining from voting in the elections this time.

Sanjay Chawla

Show defecting leaders their place

Present day politicians are not true representatives of a democracy, but are so-called opportunists. For them, their political career is far more important than sticking to ethics, morals and loyalty. The question is, if they are not loyal to those political parties that are giving them an opportunity, then how will they understand the agony of a common man? They are just worried about their existence. How will they raise their voice for those who gave them their precious votes? The basic foundation of democracy gets shattered when these fickle-minded and disloyal representatives are conferred with powers that they really don’t deserve. Their self-centred motives are on display then. These ‘Dal Badlu’ leaders should not be given a chance again by the voters. There is a need for stringent steps to be taken to stop these leaders from jumping ship for their latent motives. Only the voters will retaliate and answer them in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Muskaan Madaan

EC should act against Aaya Rams, Gaya Rams

Regardless of people’s mandate, some politicians are seen changing their party affiliations overnight. Often, such turncoats get a warm welcome on the other side as they are instantly conferred with prestigious positions or high-profile party tickets. Even very serious cases involving graft charges or misuse of power against them are ignored once they jump onto the bandwagons of other parties. Political morality is currently so low that even allurements of monetary exchanges are not ruled out. The voter sentiment gets brutally jeopardised by the leaders and parties who resort to unethical practices, which calls for earnest reforms in our political processes. Like the Supreme Court’s adjudication in case of electoral bonds, a kind of jurisprudence is also warranted for the elected representatives to safeguard the doctrine of good governance and ethics of service. Further, the Election Commission of India needs to be empowered to deal with leaders switching party loyalty and thereby breaching the mandate of voter’s right before elections. While it is for the people to teach a lesson to such candidates during the elections, these ‘Aaya Rams, Gaya Rams’ should attract the severest penalty under the Anti- Defection Law. They deserve to be debarred from any electoral contest for at least one term to maintain people’s faith in our electoral system and democratic values.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Changing parties has its pros and cons

Political defection, which is colloquially referred to as ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ phenomenon in Indian politics, is the act of politicians switching their loyalties from one party to another, particularly before elections. Now, this has become a recurring phenomenon in Indian politics. On the one hand, such defections offer voters a wide range of options to choose from. When politicians switch parties, voters may find new candidates or parties to support. This helps prevent blind adherence to a single party or leader and encourages politicians to consider different options. This also dampens dictatorship within the party structure. However, on the flip side, repeated party-hopping also raises questions about the integrity and consistency of politicians. Sometimes, voters may lose faith in leaders who frequently change affiliations like the sitting MP from Jalandhar, and this can erode public trust in the political system. When politicians prioritise personal gains over principles, voters become disillusioned. This, in turn, weakens party discipline, making it harder for parties to maintain a cohesive stance. When defections occur frequently, the foundations of a stable democracy can get compromised. Moreover, repeated defections also encourage corruption and malpractices in public service, and make a mockery of democracy. In essence, while defections are a reality in Indian politics, their impact on voter confidence remains complex. It becomes essential for voters to be more active and vigilant, and punish the politicians who frequently switch loyalties for personal gains. It is equally crucial to address the factors leading to defection and take steps to strengthen the political system for the healthy functioning of democracy in India.

Kulwant Singh Phull

Sincere party workers get short shrift

To my opinion, in a democracy, politics is like a game of chess and in the game of chess, what happens the next moment cannot be predicted. The political parties are at present trying to strengthen their organisational structure and their base by adapting and inducting senior leaders from other parties. The major objective behind this is to strengthen the party and pave the way towards winnability. With the entry of new leaders from other political parties, they have to be adjusted on priority on key posts whereas they are also given Y or Z plus security. It is pertinent to note that the senior leaders of the same political party working for four to five decades are in a dilemma over the allocation of beefed up security cover to them whereas the new entrants are allocated such security cover immediately. Do senior and loyal leaders of the same party who were struggling since the 1980s have less security cover? Does such differentiation not hurt the sentiments of these senior leaders? Most senior leaders who have worked since 1990s in different capacities in the same political party have been ignored or sidelined. The reason is not known whereas in the past, these party men were sincere and loyal towards their commitments. Changing loyalties and ideologies from time to time cannot guarantee parties loyalty and ideology. It is at present a power game, sidelining the concept of adopting social service and social ideology of that political party. Sincere workers who have worked in the party for years, do not accept the ideologies of other political parties and feel good by keeping themselves confined to their houses rather than going to highlight the policies and programmes of other parties. Indian voters are very intelligent and they know the value of their vote as it can play a crucial role in a democratic set-up. The voters should cast their vote in a positive frame of mind and such votes cast will write the future of the nation.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Those Elected should take a pledge

The frequent practice of elected representatives switching political parties has left many loyal voters feeling uncertain and disillusioned. Voters who had placed high hopes and expectations in these representatives now feel let down and disappointed as they witness the representatives prioritising their own personal gains and benefits over the interests of their constituents. This political system has left many loyal voters feeling disenfranchised. In order to address this particular issue, it is suggested that the chosen representatives should give their consent and pledge their commitment to serving in the same political party they were elected to represent. This oath should entail remaining with their party for a period of one and a half years at least, and during that time, ensuring that the public is satisfied with their decision and that there is no room for doubt in the minds of their constituents when it comes to their choice of leader. The reason for this approach is to provide a more stable and reliable political environment in which the public can build their trust. By committing to serve in the same government as they were elected to represent, the chosen representative is demonstrating his dedication to his constituents and his willingness to work towards their best interests. This, in turn, will help to build a stronger bond between the elected representatives and the public, fostering a sense of unity and trust in the political process. But as for the current scenario, the present jumping of bandwagon is certainly demoralising the voters.

Lakshit Jindal

Need for more political awareness

The unholy practice of shifting political loyalties for narrow selfish gains irks the voters since the elections started taking place in the country. But unfortunately, it is still going on unabashedly and power-hungry politicians are thriving. Since it is democracy and the people are ultimate electors, the unethical, immoral and undemocratic practices can be totally eliminated only with increasing level of political awareness among them. Such leaders changing political parties to satiate their hunger for money and power must be discarded in the elections for the sake of true democracy and clean politics in the country.

Jagdish Chander

Changing parties not undemocratic, illegal

Party hoppers generally become active during elections. Leaders dump their mother parties and switch sides for a variety of reasons. Political outfits also welcome leaders with a mass base and a winnable/competitive streak to their fold. So, it is a quid pro quo arrangement. When a leader changes his outfit, it hits the confidence of the cadre hard. Besides, it negatively impacts the performance of the party in elections. Voters also feel cheated. However, jumping from one party to another may be a tad ‘morally’ disturbing. But it is not undemocratic and illegal. But this practice has weakened democracy and therefore it should be contained. The manifesto of a party should be brought within the ambit of law. Once it happens, it will rein in party hoppers. Besides, it shall catapult democracy to new heights.

Prof Rajan Kapoor

Elect leaders with grasp of social issues

Opportunistic leaders all across the state want only tickets to fight the elections. Hardly have they any understanding about real issues of the state like depleting groundwater level, climate change, diversification of crops, migration of unemployed youth, problems of border cities, electricity needed for industry, drug addiction etc. They don’t have any belief in the political ideology of any party. Such opportunistic leaders simply want their photographs to be depicted on boards put up at various locations of the cities. They tend to change parties quickly without even considering the views of people. Also near the elections, such leaders tend to raise issues which have a direct link with the sentiments of the people. Social activism is totally missing in such leaders. Such leaders also don’t have any knowledge of law, nor have they done any advocacy for any public cause. People should discourage such opportunistic leaders and select only dedicated social leaders. Moreover, there are many clauses in our laws that need to be changed with time and for that we have a parliamentary debate system. Even in the media, such obsolete laws should be discussed among the inspiring dedicated social leaders and amendments should be brought in assembly/parliament accordingly so that social problems associated with these obsolete laws can be eliminated. There is a huge pendency of cases in Sessions Court, High Court and Supreme Court. This pendency simply shows that there are no values in our society. People tend to become criminals when they don’t get justice. RTI Act implementation is in doldrums in our state. Information flow among government departments is minimum. Though Lok Adalats are a step in the right direction, our inspiring social leaders should also come forward and educate the masses and resolve these cases so that a value-based society can be evolved in our system. Though there is a huge debate on defections, yet there is no solution for leaders using only opportunism. The appropriate time has come when people should awaken and avoid voting for such leaders and choose only real leaders who really have interest in social values.

Harvinder Singh Chugh

QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK

The summer season has set in. The India Meteorological Department has already predicted a scorching summer for 2024. What steps should the state government take to ensure an uninterrupted power supply during the peak summer months?

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