The opportunistic politics.

Political opportunism has begun unfurling its vicious influence to the fore, evidences of unscrupulous exodus of legislators among different political parties are witnessed. Three sitting cabinet ministers in Yogi Adityanath government, along with several other MLAs have egressed their way to the main opposition party.

These ministers enjoy a significant influence over their respective community. Of three, Swami Prasad Maurya who is MLA from Padrauna constituency of Kushinagar, parted ways from BJP before joining SP, levying allegation against deafness of BJP to the problems of backward classes. Dara Singh Chauhan, another minister leaving the party who belongs to Madhuban constituency of Mau, followed the suit and complained about ruling party’s ignorance of farmers and dalit groups.

 In this flurry of party-hopping, one more minister, Dharm Singh Saini, MLA from Nakud constituency of Saharanpur, too, joined the major opposition party. It is a well-established fact that the road to New Delhi passes through the dusty lanes of U.P. To consolidate their stance firmly and to overthrow each other off power, political parties make attempts to induce electors in their favour.

 In 21st century Indian politics have been undergoing a paradigm shift where political parties are transforming themselves into political laboratories which happen to be the place of formulation of different formulae based on appeasement, casteism, communalism, polarization, anti-incumbency etc. The echelons who switch over parties, seemingly, have no interest in uplifting the downtroddens or to ensure equality across different social strata.

They might get tickets to contest elections from their new parties, but the spirit of democracy dies several deaths. Such politicians are no more politicians but social engineers who unlike our scientist fraternity, set out behind structuring of various caste based and religion based equations to gain political dividends.

 To curb this unethical practice of defection, the Indian parliament had introduced the 52nd Amendment Act to the constitution in 1985 to include Tenth Schedule – popularly known as Anti Defection Law. This law punishes MPs/MLAs foe leaving one party for another. However, it allows for some relaxations where a group of MPs/MLAs can join another political party without inviting the penalty for defection.

 Anti-Defection Law is only method to prevent party-hopping activities of MPs/MLAs. There is an earnest need for legislation that administers political parties in India. By bringing political parties within the ambit of RTI (Right to Information), the ethos of representative democracy can be restored.


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