Congress needs to examine its organisational lapses to keep its flock together
By Dr. Gyan Pathak
No action can be taken against legislators under the anti-defection law or the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India for cross-voting in Rajya Sabha elections. It made MLAs to cross-vote on as many as 15 Rajya Sabha seats during the elections held on February 27, 2024. It affected the Congress worst, especially in Himachal Pradesh, where the party is now battling for survival for its government. After the election results were out, BJP leaders met Himachal Pradesh governor and apprised him of the latest political situation telling him that Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government has lost support of the majority of legislators.
It is a matter of serious concern, since cross-voting on 15 seats is a very high percentage out of total 56 seats where biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) were held. Again, out of 15 states where elections were held, cross-voting marked 3 states –Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. It shows the loss of political morality has acquired a serious dimension on the eve of Lok Sabha election scheduled to be held in April-May 2024.
Cross-voting in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh happened despite parties issuing three-line whips, deviation from the norm of not issuing whips for Rajya Sabha elections, and warning the legislators of action if they vote against their party's candidates. Highest level of cross-voting occurred in Himachal Pradesh, where 6 Congress MLAs and 3 independents voted for the BJP's candidate Harsh Mahajan who was finally declared winner by lot, since there was a tie of 34-34 votes with Congress' candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
In a 68 member Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Congress has comfortable majority of 40 seats while the BJP had 25 seats only. There are three independents. Election for one seat for Rajya Sabha was held, and therefore Congress was over sure of winning this seat initially but had sensed the BJP's plan even before the election was held.
Chief Minister Sukhu had said ahead of voting “if no one gets sold” Congress candidate would win. It indicated that the BJP had a plan, which found clear mention in another Congress leader Harshwardhan Chauhan, a minister in the state, who said, “The BJP has only 25 MLAs. Even without numbers, BJP is fielding their candidate. This means they are planning horse-trading.”
Sensing, the Congress had issued a whip for its MLAs, against the norm for Rajya Sabha election, to prevent cross-voting. The BJP called this an “unethical” act of the Congress, even when the Congress accused BJP of horse-trading and threatening Congress legislators to submission to their diktat to vote for BJP candidates. It must be recalled that the opposition leaders have been alleging for quite some time that their leaders are threatened of action by Central investigating agencies, such as ED, CBI, NIA and the Department of Income Tax.
After the election result was out, CM Sukhu said that six of the Congress MLAs were taken by CRPF and Haryana Police out of the state. It was reported later that the six Congress MLAs who cross-voted to BJP candidate were lodged at a resort in Panchkula and met Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Rajiv Bindal.
It is worth mentioning that the BJP candidate Mahajan was formerly a Congress leader who switched over to BJP. The six Congress MLAs cross voted him, and there is a report that BJP has planned to topple the Congress led Himachal Pradesh government. The report finds its credence in the wake of the track record of BJP in the last 10 years who have toppled 9 elected state governments, out of which six were Congress led governments.
Obviously, Congress has serious threat not only from BJP, but also from within. Congress alleged horse trading by BJP, but the BJP called cross-voting ‘conscience-vote'. Congress in now battling for survival of its government amidst the buzz that BJP may bring non-confidence motion against Sukhu government. BJP leaders have already met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, while the leader of the Opposition BJP Jairam Thakur has said, “From the recent political point of view of the developments that have taken place in Himachal Pradesh, it can be said that the state government has lost the moral right to stay in power.”
After the shocking defeat Mr Singhvi said that the election had “taught me a lesson, how people can change their principles and ideologies overnight. … The nine MLAs who cross-voted had dinner with us on Monday night. Three of them also had a breakfast with us in the morning. But they voted against me.”
This shows the danger the Congress is facing at present which is ominous on the eve of Lok Sabha election. Congress seriously needs to work to eliminate organisational lapses on its part, since mere allegation of BJP of horse trading and BJP conspiracy may not work. Winner Mahajan said that cross-voting was caused due to the Congress leaders being unhappy with their government. It must be recalled that PM Modi has recently said in reply to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's allegation of poaching Congress leaders by BJP that Congress leaders wanted to switch to BJP.
In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party's MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey resigned from the post of party's Chief Whip as the party's chief Akhilesh Yadav warned of action against cross voting MLAs. There too, the first preference votes showed that the BJP had won eight seats out of 10, one more than it was expected to win, revealing cross-voting. In Karnataka, Congress could bag three seats and BJP one. There were five candidates in the fray. BJP suffered a big setback as its MLA cross-voted for Congress candidate, as claimed by BJP Chief Whip Doddanagouda G Patil. He said the party would take action against the MLA for cross-voting.
The cross-voting reveals that the Congress is in greater trouble on account of its rank-and-file crossing over to BJP. Its ally Samajwadi Party is also heading for similar trouble during the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. INDIA alliance needs much more effort to protect themselves from the poaching by BJP, as far as switchover of their rank-and-file is concerned, as revealed in the Rajya Sabha election results. (IPA Service)
