RAIPUR: The Congress on Saturday proposed to amend the anti-defection law to curb mass defections and purchasing of legislators, in its political resolution which was adopted on the second day of the Plenary session in Raipur. The three-day session, which will conclude on Sunday, also passed economic and International Affairs resolutions.
"Since 2014, the BJP has engineered mass defections, purchased legislators and thus toppled democratically elected government after government. The Congress will amend the Constitution to eliminate such practices," said the draft resolution.
Besides, police reforms and a new law to prevent and punish hate crimes, the 56-point political resolution also said that the party will set up a National Election Fund to initiate Electoral reforms. "During elections, funds will be allocated to political parties using transparent and fair criteria laid down by law," it said.
Though the resolution promised to restore complete statehood for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, it skipped any reference to the contentious issue of Article 370. "Congress reaffirms that the whole of Jammu & Kashmir is part of India."
Owing to the drastic steps taken in August 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has been bifurcated summarily. "Congress will strive to restore complete statehood for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, and bring Ladakh and its people under the protection of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India."
While there was much anticipation about the roadmap for opposition alliances ahead of the assembly polls and the Lok Sabha election, the resolution pointed out that the emergence of any third force will provide an advantage to the BJP/NDA. "Unity of secular and socialist forces will be the hallmark of the future of the Congress party. Congress should go all out to identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular forces. We should include secular regional forces who agree with our ideology. There is an urgent need for a united opposition to take on the NDA on common ideological grounds," said the resolution.
It also said that wherever the Congress is the main opposition party, "we should be a responsible and responsive opposition. While campaigning, the focus should be on the respective local issues." It said the Udaipur Nav Sankalp will be taken up on a mission mode.