Editor, Goemkarponn
AERIAL VIEW
A lot has been spoken about the morals and ethics of politicians who switch over.
Can we, as the voters, say that we did not take money to vote for these leaders. If we have taken it, then there is no moral right to question these politics. The cash distribution was their investment, and by defecting to other parties, they are recovering the investment with interest.
The politicians do not care for the voters’ sentiments since they have purchased the votes; they feel they are at liberty to decide whatever they want. They know for every festival and sports event, they throw more money and people will forget what happened in the past.
In the era of competition and where politics has become more of a business than service, the commitment to ideology and adherence to ethics has become a liability and has been discarded without shedding a tear.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Geomkarponn
A lot has been spoken about the eight Congress leaders who defected to the BJP last week. Following the development, there have been prayers, gharanes and what not in the temples urging deities to teach the defectors a lesson.
Well, one wonders whether such curses and prayers to punish them would work against the thick-skinned politicians of Goa.
Neither this is the first time nor will be the last when Goa has seen political defections.
In Indian State politics, Goa has been the most unstable State when you talk of government. Goans have seen government collapse overnight, sometimes even days after swearing-ins. Goa has a long history of defections.
From 2007 onwards, however, sorts have been stable. Digambar Kamat faced several coups, nonetheless he completed the five-year term.
After that, the BJP came to power with an absolute majority in 2012, and hence there was no turbulence. But since 2017, Goa has seen a different kind of defection, a different ball game altogether.
In fact, one can say the 2017 government foundation laid on defections. Vijai Sardesai’s Goa Forward, Sudin Dhavalikar’s MGP, and independents Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gaude, who were initially inclined toward Congress, which had 17 seats, joined BJP (13) in an unexpected turn of events.
The actual saga of defections started since they as soon after Vishwajit Rane resigned from Congress and joined BJP and was followed by Subash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte.
Later, Deepak Pauskar and Babu Azgaonkar from MGP followed suit.
Then came the biggest jolt to Congress: from 17, they were reduced to just five after 10 of their MLAs led by LoP Chandrakant Kavlekar joined the BJP.
As the elections approached in February this year, the Congress was reduced to just 1 MLA, Digambar Kamat.
The BJP was not satisfied with that; even after winning 20 seats in the Assembly elections, the party kept its doors open for defectors as eight Congress MLAs were given entry last week.
However, this has not gone well with the core BJP worker, who has slogged to bring the party up from 4 to its current position in the Assembly. But that does not concern the BJP leaders, who want to decimate the Opposition by hook or crook.
A lot has been spoken about the morals and ethics of politicians who switch over.
Can we, as the voters, say that we did not take money to vote for these leaders. If we have taken it, then there is no moral right to question these politics. The cash distribution was their investment, and by defecting to other parties, they are recovering the investment with interest.
The politicians do not care for the voters’ sentiments since they have purchased the votes; they feel they are at liberty to decide whatever they want. They know for every festival and sports event, they throw more money and people will forget what happened in the past.
In the era of competition and where politics has become more of a business than service, the commitment to ideology and adherence to ethics has become a liability and has been discarded without shedding a tear.
The modern brigade politicians have come to power not based on their ideological commitment or charisma but through inheritance and political nexus.
Also, when discussing Anti-defection law, one must agree that any rule has loopholes. The current anti-defection rules allow two-thirds of members of a legislative party to officially break from the parent party. Congress MLAs in Goa used this provision to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Now, the only way to tighten the provisions further would be to raise the bar to 100 per cent, making it illegal for any elected MLA or MP to leave their party under any condition.
The only way to legally prevent this would be by making it illegal to resign. Those who resign could be disqualified from contesting elections for a certain period. This is what reformers want now.
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