Open House: Should Chandigarh MC introduce a law to curb party-hopping by councillors prior to mayoral polls?

The lyrics “Kadi eash fool te, kadi osh fool te” fit perfectly for politicians. They win elections through the vote bank of one party and then switch to another. The absence of an anti-defection law encourages politicians to hop parties for money or favours.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd.), Mohali

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Anti-defection laws needed

Yes, there should be provisions for anti-defection laws in the city. Voting by raising hands by the councillors in the MC House during the mayoral poll will automatically come into force with this. — Arun Sood, former BJP state president

Elections need to be transparent

The absence of an anti-defection law, a mayor-in-council, and voting by raising hands in the MC House are major shortcomings in the system. All these should be implemented to make elections transparent. — HS Lucky, UT Congress president

It will end horse-trading

Adequate laws must be amended to make this provision. It will end horse-trading and make the election process fair. — Prem Garg, former UT AAP president

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Switching within term should be prohibited

There is an urgent need for anti-defection law councillors, MPs, and MLAs alike, as it is a waste of residents’ time and taxpayers’ money. Switching parties within a five-year term should be prohibited. The expenditure for re-elections due to party-hopping should be recovered from candidates who switched allegiance.

Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

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Question for next week

Recent incidents in the city have highlighted a concerning trend: schoolchildren engaging in cybercrime by sharing morphed and objectionable images of their classmates on social media. What measures parents and schools should take to prevent such incidents?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]

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Anti-defection law needed

It is sad to see councillors defecting to other parties close to elections. Voters lose faith and get confused as many of them cast votes for parties and not for the person. An elected member should remain with the same party for the full term, and if someone decides to switch anyway, they should be disqualified from the next election.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

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Disqualify party-hoppers

The initial postponement of the elections allowed time for defections, and now the dispute over the ‘rigging’ would allow more time for horse-trading since courts have decided to hear the case next week. In such an environment the best solution is to disqualify a counsellor who switches parties.

Col PS Gill (retd)

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Adhere to political morality

A more lasting solution to the problem would be if all the political parties decided to adhere to basic political morality. It should be made a rule that if a counsellor decides to switch parties, they need to resign from their post first and participate in a re-election, as in a lot of cases, people vote for a particular party and not for a candidate.

Capt Amar Jeet (retd)

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No need to elect mayor every year

The major point that everyone needs to talk about is: why bid for a new mayor every year when the MC has a five-year term? This gives parties reason to trade counsellors and cause chaos every time the mayor election come around. The simplest solution is an anti-defection law that prohibits any post-poll alliances among rival parties.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

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Nominate eminent residents to MC

The recent municipal elections in Chandigarh have opened a ‘Pandora’s box’. It is high time that the MC elections are not fought on political thoughts and should depend on the development and better and improved standard of living of people. I believe that people from social categories such as retired doctors, teachers, former servicemen, or bureaucrats should be nominated for the MC elections instead of political parties.

Col TBS Bedi, Mohali

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Implement ‘Civic Stability Pact’

Implement a ‘Civic Stability Pact’ mandating councillors to serve a minimum term before switching parties. Enforce penalties, like temporary suspension from public office, for violators. This fosters accountability and discourages opportunistic moves, ensuring elected officials prioritise constituents over personal gains. Additionally, promote transparency by requiring public disclosure of reasons for party shifts and holding councillors accountable to their electorate.

Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali

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Implement ‘cooling-off period’

Consider implementing a “cooling-off period” where defectors wait a set time before being allowed to hold office under the banner of a new party. Alternatively, explore ‘constituency recall — empowering voters to initiate by-elections if dissatisfied with their representative’s switch. Moreover, foster transparency by mandating public disclosure of reasons for defection, deterring frivolous moves. Addressing the root causes — like a lack of internal party democracy or unclear ideologies — might prove more effective than just legal restrictions.

Amanjot Kaur, Mohali

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Public vote for defections

The MC needs to implement a ‘cool-off’ period for the councillors who switch parties before elections. If a councillor switches, their constituents decide through a by-election if they deserve to stay at their elected post. This empowers voters and discourages frivolous defections.

Gurdev Singh, Mohali

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Hold them accountable

Mandate councillors to complete at least half their term before switching parties, discouraging last-minute power grabs. Allow voters to trigger byelections if a councillor switches parties, holding them accountable for their choices.

Gurpreet Kaur, Mohali

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Impose fine on defectors

The MC should introduce a law that requires councillors to forfeit their seats and contest fresh elections if they switch parties within six months of the polls. This would discourage opportunistic defections and ensure accountability to the voters. The MC should also introduce a law that imposes a hefty fine on councillors who defect from their original parties before the elections. The fine amount should be proportional to the public funds spent on elections.

Sahibpreet Singh, Mohali

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Councillors should prioritise welfare

In order to ensure the well-being of Chandigarh, the MC must enact laws preventing councillors from prioritising personal interests over the city. It is imperative to establish regulations that foster loyalty to the broader community rather than individual gains for the councillors. This proactive approach will safeguard the city’s prosperity and enhance the accountability of its elected representatives.

Vijay Katyal, Panchkula

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Adopt laissez-faire approach

When a municipal councillor who has been elected on a party ticket alters his affiliation, he commits a breach of faith. In fairness to the electorate, a defector should be made to seek a fresh mandate from the people. When there is a lack of consensus on any civic decision, the councillor should be given the option to resign and stand for new elections. It would be discreet to adopt a laissez-faire approach rather than an interventionist attitude in a vibrant democracy like ours.

Brig Advitya Madan, Chandigarh

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Party-hoppers should be disqualified

Councillors switching parties after an election under a party should be disqualified. In a lot of cases, voters cast votes for a particular party and elect councillors on the basis of programmes that the party promises. Councillors have no right to betray voters by switching their allegiance, especially close to or right after elections.

Prof HS Dhanoa, Chandigarh

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Comprehensive laws to curb defection

The recent mayor election in Chandigarh was a mockery of democracy. Since neither of the members shifted to another party, this is not the case of defection, but it is the need of the hour to introduce a comprehensive law to curb such incidents. The absence of any pre-pole alliance or post-pole arrangement just to topple majority party rule should be discouraged.

JS Multani, Mohali

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Need for political stability

Balancing democratic principles and political stability, the introduction of a law against frequent party-hopping by municipal councillors presents pros such as increased stability and accountability, yet faces cons related to individual freedom and potential misuse, necessitating careful consideration and public input.

Prithvee Yakhmi, Chandigarh

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Debar defectors from elections

Strict laws must be implemented prohibiting councillors from hopping parties within a term. Anyone who switches parties near the polls is an opportunist and should be barred from any future elections. MC should be service-oriented for social and infrastructure development and resolving problems of residents of the city. It is a waste of people’s time and taxpayers’ money when a councillor switches parties after being elected.

Pritpal Singh Gill, SAS Nagar

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Party-hoppers deceive public

Chandigarh municipal councillors crossing the floor during mayoral elections has become a common occurrence. A councillor who switches does not only deceive his/her party but has also done ill-service to the public who helped them come into power. An anti-defection law needs to be enacted to curb party-hopping.

MR Bhateja, Naya Gaon

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Turncoats should be expelled from MC

The mayoral elections have become a mockery as the councillors continue to turn tables. The turncoat councillors should be expelled from the house with immediate effect and need to be debarred from future elections as they would rather go for personal gains than for public service.

Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh

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Strict measures need to curb malpractice

There should be a law that mandates that if a councillor wishes to switch parties, they need to resign from the post and contest a re-election under the banner of their new party. I believe that independent councillors should not be allowed to join parties after being elected either. They betray the people who have elected them. Strict and effective measures should be in place to stop such malpractices, which councillors indulge in for money.

Arun Jain, Mani Majra

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Parties must maintain decorum

Various political parties must maintain decorum within their spheres, and defection must be avoided as it raises the question of the dignity of the constitutional framework itself. If required, an anti-defection law should be amended to make the shifting of councillors from one party to another impossible. If needed, the defector must seek re-election, letting the voters decide his or her fate based on his/her affiliation with the new political party.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

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Vote for honest candidates

The funds of the Chandigarh MC should be spent on civic works and to resolve various problems of the residents instead of wasting them on re-elections. A few councillors betrayed the residents of their ward by switching parties for their personal gain. The administration needs to ensure an end to such corrupt practices, and residents should only elect councillors who are honest and trustworthy.

Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chd

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Anti-defection law to tackle issue

Recently conducted mayoral polls in the city have brought to light many flaws and imperfections in the election process. The ‘loyal’ members of a party could be seen turning coats and stabbing their parties for their own welfare. This problem cannot be tackled unless anti-defection laws are implemented to curb this recurrent party-hopping.

Devanjana, Chandigarh

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Party-hoppers should be disqualified

The election commission of India must pass an anti-defection law so that members of one party cannot switch parties for their personal gains. Anyone who switches parties after elections should be disqualified from his post and banned from future elections.

Savita Kuthiala

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Residents have lost faith in democracy

Instead of serving residents, the councillors seek opportunities to gobble up money. These defections have become the norm before every election in the country. Citizens who queue up in line for hours to vote for their candidates feel cheated and lose faith in the democratic principles of the country. So a law has to be enacted to ban defections in every election.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

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Maintain democratic integrity of elections

Politicians have been switching parties for their selfish gains for a very long time, which has been hard on the democratic system of the country. The government must understand its responsibilities and work towards creating a better political atmosphere for the upcoming generations. New laws should be implemented to discourage politicians from switching parties to maintain the integrity of elections.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

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It’s weakening democracy

To prevent councillors from party-hopping, an anti-defection law must be enacted. When councillors switch parties, the residents who voted for them lose faith in the democratic structure of the country.

SS Arora, Mohali

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Set a time period for party changes

Choosing a party is a personal choice. The government can set the number of parties to select to curb frequent party hopping ahead of elections. Switching parties near elections should be banned.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

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Foster political expediency

It is essential to craft an anti-defection law to ensure political stability around elections. The MC needs to promote ethical conduct and ensure that elected officials remain accountable to residents of the city. It is essential to uphold the integrity of the democratic process and ensure stability within the MC.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

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Need for stringent laws for elections

There should be a rule where it should be made compulsory for the councillors to announce their allegiance publically, and if they decide to switch, they should state the reason for the switch on record to maintain transparency. There is a need for the government to implement laws to curb horse-trading around elections.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

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Turncoats should not be allowed to vote

The horse-trading of councillors around elections should be curbed with stringent laws. Any councillor who indulges in this malpractice should be barred from future elections and should not be allowed to vote in any elections as well. Fresh elections need to be conducted with funds from the pocket of the turncoat councillor.

Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh

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Public welfare should be focus

The MC was established for the welfare of the people, and the councillors should focus on that instead of aiming for selfish gains. They should work towards improving the standard of living of residents and resolving their problems.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

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Need for laws by MC

The municipal corporation should introduce a law to curb frequent party-hopping by councillors prior to the elections.

Adish Sood, Amloh

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Transparency is key

People vote for a candidate based on his/her affiliation with a party. But a councillor switches parties without being transparent to the residents. Adequate laws must be in place for party-hoppers.

Sqn Ldr Manjit Singh Johar (retd), chd