Madhu Agrawal
It refers to matter of Maharashtra Governor not taking decision on giving clearance to 12 names recommended by state Chief Minister for nomination to state Legislative Council. It may be recalled that the then UP governor Ram Naik in the year 2015 returned list of nominees for state Legislative Council, where media-reports indicated that the list contained names of relations of political rulers in the state and with criminal background. Bihar political heavyweight Pappu Yadav once rightly demanded abolition of faulty concept of Vidhan Parishad which incidentally had former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi wife of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, and other close aids being members Legislative Council. As per media-reports a former Chief Minister was once caught in sting demanding cash for getting a person elected to Karnatak Vidhan Parishad.
State Legislative Councils are nothing but white-elephants on state-exchequers to rehabilitate favorites and relations of political rulers at heavy public-cost, that too absolutely without any purpose. Vidhaan Parishads in states which were gradually being abolished by many states in post-emergency period after 1977 with just five remaining at a time, are being gradually revived to politically rehabilitate favourites of political rulers. Since these serve absolutely no purpose, constitutional provision of having Legislative Councils in states should altogether be abolished.
Though even demands are being raised in Britain to abolish House of Lords, yet Rajya Sabha must be retained because it does serve some fruitful purpose. But stricter rules regarding attendance, continuous absence from the House and medical fitness. Secret vote but through EVMs equipped with VVPAT should be re-introduced to check use of money-power in Rajya Sabha elections to avoid making it a club of billionaires and celebrities. Persons having lost any direct election must not be allowed to become Rajya Sabha members for next six years.
