How 2016-2020 was 'Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram' time for Congress

By: Anshul Vipat

 

Image source: IANS

There have been at least 433 instances of MLAs defecting mid-term between 2016 and 2021

 

The anti-defection law has stifled the voices of the elected representatives. Legislators not adhering to party discipline is a political problem, and it has to be remedied through more internal party democracy and avenues for growth of the members of a party.The scenario that unfolded in Maharashtra a few months back bore the same resemblance in two-Congress ruled states Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. While Congress was able to save its government in the desert state, Madhya Pradesh saw a change in government. Karnataka, where Congress was in alliance with JDS also saw mass rebellion by its ruling lawmakers.

The anti-defection law that was brought by the then Rajiv Gandhi government in 1985 to stop the 'Aaya Ram, Gaya Rama syndrome (named after Gaya Lal, an MLA in the Haryana legislative assembly who is notoriously known for switching his allegiance to different parties thrice in a day) it has failed to act as a powerful deterrent.

Interestingly, it is the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) who has been the biggest gainer of legislators who defected to other political parties in recent times. The Congress, on the other hand, accounted for the most MLAs who quit to join another party, showed a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms. The report analyzed the self-sworn affidavits of 1133 candidates and 500 MPs/MLAs, who switched parties and re-contested elections held during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections since 2014.

According to the report by the political watchdog, there have been at least 433 instances of MLAs defecting mid-term between 2016 and 2021. The Congress party saw 222 candidates, maximum among all parties, leaving the party to join other parties, while 153 candidates left the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to join a different party to contest elections.

Source: Association for Democratic Reforms

The saffron party was the biggest gainer, with 182 (44.9%) of the 405 re-contesting MLAs joining it. Congress was the preferred choice with 38, or 9.4% new joinees. K Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi party came at the third position which welcomed 25 new legislators on board during this period.

Talking about parliamentarians, between 2016 and 2020, a total of 12 Lok Sabha MPs also defected to recontest the poll, five among from the ruling BJP. On the other hand, 16 Rajya Sabha MPs who defected 7 left the Congress to join a different party. Interestingly, none of the 12 Lok Sabha MPs who defected to contest the polls again won. The opposite was true for the Rajya Sabha, where all 16 defectors were reelected.

According to the report, the most plausible reasons behind such defections were the absence of value based politics, a strong desire for money and power, absence of laws, strong nexus between money and muscle, and the dearth of “efficient, honest and credible leaders”.

Political parties are indispensable actors in our democracy, however frequent meanderings of legislators in search of ever-greener pastures has the potential to destabilize democracy itself.