Omkar Dattatray
Defections and floor crossing are the characteristic features of the multi -party system and electoral democracy. The defections are the bane of the electoral democracy and it pollutes the political system. The phenomena of Aya Ram and Gaya Ram is the permanent feature of our political system and Parliamentary democracy. The various political parties and politicians are resorting to the defections for their selfish interests and ulterior motives. The defections are resorted to by the politicians for searching the greener pastures when they suspect that they will not be fielded as candidates in the ensuing elections or when after the elections they are not given the cabinet births. Thus the selfish politicians indulge in the defections to remain in the limelight and to be leeched to power. Now that the elections to five state assemblies including the state of UP have been announced by the election commission of India, the political activities and electioneering has gained momentum and with this the phenomena of the defections has raised its ugly head. So come elections the spectacle of defections also takes place and continues to pollute the electoral democracy and this is a serious matter and it should concern the rulers of the country. In UP state assembly elections, the political parties and the politicians without any exception have started to resorting to the Tamasha of defections and this is not confined to any one political parties but all most all political parties are resorting to the defections to remain in the power or limelight.Thus in UP elections the BJP, BSP, SP and other small political outfits resort to the floor crossing in order to earn political dividends. Therefore the political parties have started to indulge in the defections for gaining greener pastures. The defections is the bane and menace of the multi-party system and it plagues the Indian political system and the rulers should strive for defection free politics in the interest of the country and in the interest of the gullible voters. The defections and floor crossing is anti democracy and it in no way is the sign of the dynamic democracy and so the defections should not happen in our political system. Defections are undemocratic and it is a naked deceit with the voters because at the time of leaving the party the sovereigns -the voters who have voted in your favour are not consulted and this way the defections are undemocratic and against the people who have voted in your favour. The defections is a fraud and deceit with the gullible voters and as such should not be resorted to by the politicians. The defections bring bad name to our electoral democracy and therefore we should purge the political system from the bane of the defections and save our electoral democracy. Thus for the interest of the probity we should strive for a defection less politics so that the interests of the voters will not be sacrificed and the political system goes as per the wishes of the voters and there will be no deceit with them. Therefore we should have a defection less polity so that the governments are carried in accordance with the wishes of the voters and in accordance with the mandate of the people. Thus what is required is that the polity should be carried on with the defection less phenomena so that the interests of the people are served to the optimum. So defections of the different politicians on the eve of the festival of democracy in UP is a serious matter and it should attract the attention of the rulers and the ruled in order to save the political system form the bane of defections. It is a stark reality that the defections are against the very people who have voted you to power or voted in your favor. Therefore it is the negation of the democracy and it in no way strengthens the democracy and is the anti thesis of the democratic values. As such defections should be discouraged for the interest of the democracy and for the interest of the people. Thus it is in the fitness of things to strive for a defection free politics so that the wishes of the people are satisfied and deceit and fraud with the voters does not take place at all because of the defections. In UP elections the politicians belonging to various political parties are resorting to the defections to remain in the limelight or power. The defections in the UP elections are gaining momentum as the different politicians belonging to different political parties are busy in defecting and joining new political parties to satisfy their selfish interests. But this defection is not only the case of the ruling mighty BJP but all most all political parties big and small and their politicians are resorting to the menace of defections for reaping the political dividends. The defections have polluted our politics and there is urgent need to purge the politics from the bane of defections so that the governments are carried in accordance with the wishes of the gullible voters. There should be strong anti defection laws in force in the country. It is a fact that there are anti defection laws in force in the country but there is need for the stringent anti defection laws. There are anti defection laws and provisions in the country and what is needed is the strong will to implement the anti defection laws so that the defections will not take place in the politics at all and the government is carried on in accordance with the wishes of the gullible voters. There is urgent need to disqualify the politicians from the membership of the legislatures so that it will serve as a deterrent for other politicians and they will desist from resorting to the defections. The defections are undemocratic and against the voters who have voted you to power or voted in your favour and therefore there should be no defections in the country so that there is no deceit and fraud with the electorate who have voted you to power or voted in your favor. Thus defections and floor crossing should be given a good bye for the interest of the country and the people at the large. Therefore there is need for the striving on the part of rulers so that the menace of defections is put at rest in order to see that the government is carried on according to the interests of the people. But defection less polity is unlikely in the country given the selfish and vested interests of the voters. However we should not lose heart but strive for a defection less polity so that a polity is ensured in the country, where there is no defection at all but political ideologies should guide and motivate the politicians. During these days of issueless politics and in the days of ideological bankruptcy of the politicians the different politicians are crossing the floor to remain leeched to power. To conclude we can say that the dictum of Aya Ram Gaya Ram Ko Ram Ram is translated in letter and spirit in the interest of the country and people in the ultimate analysis.
(The author is retired Education Officer and Columnist).