After Congress MLAs' resignation in Gujarat, Digvijaya Singh seeks amendment in anti-defection law

As per the earlier anti-defection law, any elected lawmaker who quit a party couldn’t contest any election for six years. Later it was changed following court orders
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh (Photo | PTI)
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh (Photo | PTI)

BHOPAL: Hours after three Congress MLAs in Gujarat resigned and many remaining MLAs of the party were shifted to resorts in Congress-ruled Rajasthan,  former Madhya Pradesh CM and the party’s Rajya Sabha candidate in MP, Digvijaya Singh ruled out a similar episode happening in the central Indian state.

“Whoever had to go after getting money have already gone, I don’t think a Gujarat-like episode is going to happen in Madhya Pradesh,” Singh told journalists in Bhopal on Sunday while referring to resignation by Jyotiraditya Scindia loyalists MLAs in MP in March.

“The BJP has gathered so much money via corruption that it has started a mandi (market) for buying and selling MLAs. All other parties should take note of this development and work together for stopping the buying of mandate. If all non-BJP parties don’t work collectively on the issue, democracy would be dead. If this is allowed to go on, then no one needs to contest polls, as in a 200-member assembly, a party can spend Rs 1000 crore and buy the majority,” said Singh.

In view of the political drama which led to the fall of Kamal Nath government in MP in March and the latest resignation of three Congress MLAs in Gujarat, Singh called for amendment in anti-defection law in the country.

“In 1985, the anti-defection law was enacted by the Rajiv Gandhi government. As per that law, any elected lawmaker who quit a party couldn’t contest any election for six years. Later it was changed following court orders. But in view of the recent political developments, it’s high time that the anti-defection law be amended again to include the old provisions. It will ensure that any elected lawmaker, who quits any party, will be debarred from contesting elections over next six years and also not hold any office of profit despite no longer being an elected lawmaker,” demanded Singh.

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