HYDERABAD: Union minister of urban development M Venkaiah Naidu has mooted changes in the anti-defection laws to disqualify any public representative, who jumps from a political party to join another, the same day.
Speaking at a function organised here on Friday to felicitate him for being elected to the Rajya Sabha for the fourth consecutive term, Naidu said patience was required in politics to sustain for a longer period.
The Union minister said that jumping from one political party to another was the right of every politician. But, if any politician changed party for lacking faith in leadership, then he should resign.
“Changing parties without resigning is not limited to Telugu states. The trend exists in every other state too,” he added.
“Some persons have asked me why I am not contesting direct elections. I told them that I had contested direct elections and won. Even during the NTR wave in 1983 I was elected on BJP ticket. There was no alliance between TDP and BJP then.”
Observing that politicians hate each other in present-day politics, the veteran leader advised young politicians that endurance, ideology and standards were needed in politics.
“We have patience in politics to listen to what others are saying. Opposition parties should be given a chance to express their views,” the Union minister said.
Union ministers Manohar Parrikar and Bandaru Dattatreya, AP minister Kamineni Srinivas and Parliament member M Murali Mohan, Telangana legislator A.Revanth Reddy, film personalities Rajendra Prasad, Allu Arvind, Chiranjeevi, Akkineni Nagarjuna, K.Raghavendra Rao and D.Suresh were among those who felicitated Venkaiah Naidu.