PANAJI
Opposition leader Digambar Kamat on Friday expressed his disappointment over the exclusion of his private member’s resolution seeking the strengthening of the anti-defection law.
Reacting to the development, Kamat charged that the move to exclude his resolution clearly exposed the BJP government’s intent to promote defections and indulge in horse-trading.
“The resolution was to recommend to the Government of India to make necessary changes in the Xth Schedule of the Constitution and make the anti-defection law stronger,” Kamat said.
The monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly is slated to commence on July 28.
A week ago, Kamat, had announced that he would move the resolution, exactly two years after his Congress party was depleted with 10 of its MLAs jumping aisles and crossing over to the treasury benches.
Earlier too, three other Congress MLAs -- Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte -- had resigned their membership of the House to contest bye-elections and get re-elected as BJP MLAs.
Kamat’s move has come in the face of a campaign launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to make political defections a talking point ahead of the upcoming assembly elections which are just seven months away.
Meanwhile, the Congress too is likely to launch a state-wide campaign to create awareness about the ill effects of defections.
According to Kamat the campaign would also “enlighten” the people of their democratic rights and urge them to hold MLAs accountable and responsible towards the mandate of the electorate.
During the current term of the legislature, as many as 15 of the 40 legislators have switched parties -- 13 from the Congress and two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. All 15 have joined the BJP which is in power both in Goa and at the Centre.
Three of these 15 -- Rane Jr, Shirodkar and Sopte -- followed the convention of quitting membership of the House and contesting a bye-election.
The 10 Congress MLAs led by Kavlekar and the two MGP MLAs -- Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar and PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar -- simply switched over using the proviso for “merger of political” parties provided in the Xth Schedule which stipulates that two-third members of the legislative wing qualify to merge.
All the twelve legislators faced a disqualification petition but survived with Speaker Rajesh Patnekar dismissing the petitions but an appeal challenging the decision is pending before the Bombay High Court.
