SNCN ACHARYULU
Hyderabad
Keeping in mind the blows it suffered after the last two Assembly elections the Congress has decided to take precautionary measures during the next Assembly elections. The Congress has reportedly decided to take ‘commitment letters’ from its candidates contesting the Assembly elections.
Congress candidates have to sign a commitment letter which says that they will not change the party after winning the elections. In case they change their party they will have to resign their MLA post before joining the new party.
During the 2014 Assembly elections, the Congress won 21 seats in Telangana and in the 2018 Assembly elections, it won 19 seats. In these two elections, the BRS came to power. After the polls most Congress MLAs defected to the BRS and some became Cabinet ministers.
In fact, in these two Assembly elections, the BRS had got a clear majority to form the government and there was no threat from the opposition. However, to eliminate the Congress from TS the BRS encouraged defections.
The BRS encouraged defections not only from the Congress but from other opposition parties too.
The BRS is going to face a tough challenge from the Congress in the next Assembly elections. The BRS is confident about forming a government, but if it falls short of a majority it is confident that some Congress MLAs will defect like in the past.
The Congress also is confident about coming to power in the next Assembly elections. But it will face a tough challenge from the BRS. In these circumstances, the difference between these two parties could be very narrow and naturally the BRS will encourage defections from the Congress.
Keeping this in mind the Congress wants to prevent its MLAs from defecting by collecting commitment letters from them. In fact, there is no need to take such letters as the Anti-Defection Act is in force.
According to this Act if any MLA defects from one party to another he/she will be disqualified automatically.
But the enforcement of the anti-defection law is in the hands of ruling parties. Assembly Speakers have to take the decision on disqualifying an MLA. But Speakers are acting as per the directions of the ruling party from which an MLA becomes the Assembly Speaker.
In spite of the existence of the anti-defection law, MLAs are defecting from one party to another as they are protected by ruling parties. When MLAs are not afraid of the law can they be controlled by commitment letters?
