RS poll muddle

In a political culture that lacks the moral quotient, opportunism is considered an acceptable transgression. It’s a sad commentary that with the Rajya Sabha elections a week away, the shopping season seems to have begun. Parties are busy gathering their legislators together and packing them off to locations where the chances of being influenced directly to vote against the official nominees are less. To check cross-voting, there is a system of open ballot for elections to the Upper House. Each MLA is required to show his or her marked ballot to the party’s authorised agent; showing it to anyone else renders the vote invalid, as does not showing it. Independent candidates cannot show their ballots to anyone. The catch is that not voting for the party candidate does not attract disqualification, though the party is free to take disciplinary action.

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In 1985, when the Tenth Schedule, popularly known as the anti-defection law, was added to the Constitution, the purpose was to deter MPs and MLAs from changing parties, which may be due to the lure of office or similar considerations. Though the law applies equally to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, it does not cover cross-voting for the Rajya Sabha polls since it takes place outside and not inside the House. Having tighter legislation could be one solution to the problem, but the political will for such change may be lacking. There is much at stake: from gaining numbers in the Upper House to political one-upmanship of ensuring victory that can be career-defining.

Several factors play a part in the choice of candidates, not necessarily revolving around what the MP brings to the House or can contribute by way of discussion and debate. It was in 2013 that a prominent Haryana MP remarked that ‘Rs 100 crore can buy you a Rajya Sabha seat’. Nine years on, big money has a dubious role. The decline could not be more demoralising.