Sandesh Prabhudesai
19 Mar 1999
How to face the electorate with a firm assurance of stopping the
defection games is a question before almost all the political parties in Goa as election
fever is fast gripping the tourist state.
Not a single party is in a position to face the polls, claiming that
they have no defectors or double standard opportunist politicians among them. The general
voter however is happy with the President’s rule for the sole reason that the
toppling games have finally stopped.
In fact, the prematurely dissolved Goa Assembly witnessed formation of
a new political group without having people’s mandate for it while another elected
one vanishing from the House. All three legislators belonging to the United Goans
Democratic Party joined the Congress in the process while Dr Wilfred de Souza formed the
Goa Rajiv Congress, changing the original structure of the eighth Assembly.
Similarly, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party remained with only eight
legislators as four among them defected immediately after Goa electing a hung Assembly in
1994, to form the Congress government. Though de Souza later defected from the Congress
along with nine others, four among them rejoined the party to topple de Souza’s
coalition government within three months.
Gained in the bargain in terms of number however was the Congress,
whose original strength of 18 rose upto 19 despite six among them formed the GRC, de
Souza’s rebel group. But its unethical role in last four years has also unpopularised
the national party to a large extent, making it difficult for them to face the electorate.
"My experiment of taking oath not to defect did not work. Now I am
planning to take an affidavit from them that they would not defect", says Shantaram
Naik, the Goa PCC chief. He fully supports the view that defections should be totally
banned, but is still admitting several defectors who had revolted against the party in the
past.
"The defection games are more seen in small states like Goa",
feels MGP leader Dr Kashinath Jalmi, "because the law-makers did not think of
regional parties and small states where legal defections with one third of its legislative
strength is sometimes even one or two MLAs. Even the whole sale defection here is a retail
one".
"The best short-term solution is to prevent defectors from holding
any post of a minister, corporation chairman or even a member of any government
committee", opines UGDP vice president Adv Radharao Gracias, pointing out that power
is the root cause of defections.
"But they can defect even in exchange of briefcases full with grey
notes", says Jalmi, one of the few legislators who has not changed his party during
his decade-long career. His opinion that defection provides right to dissent however is
flayed by Congress leader Naik, admitting that the breed that dissents on the grounds of
principles has vanished long ago.
Dr de Souza, the mastermind behind several defection games Goa
witnessed, however justifies defections stating that they are sometimes necessary to
condone corruption in the government and save the state from getting ruined. He however
agrees ‘in principle’ that resigning and facing the polls afresh instead of
defecting is the best solution.
"The Parliament could also think of amending the anti-defection
act by making it mandatory that the member loses his or her seat the minute they vote
against the finance bill or against party’s policy stance, instead of authorising the
speaker to decide about disqualification", feels BJP leader Manohar Parrikar.
Speaker Tomazinho Cardoz, whose allegedly political decisions on
disqualifications were even struck down by the high court, however still defends his
actions, claiming that it had peoples’ support. "The best remedy however is to
resign and seek re-election, instead of defecting", he agrees.
As Parliament seems to be not in a mood to reconsider the tenth
schedule of the constitution before Goa goes to polls by May end, it has to be seen how
all these politicians would win over the electorate, who appear to be in a mood to make
public morality the prime electoral issue this time.
Your Comments Please
