MPs and MLAs are commodities up for sale in India?

Politics has never been a service to the majority of politicians. It is and has been an easy career to amass wealth, power and position, without any stipulations on educational qualifications. Politicians are always opportunistic, ever on the look out for advancing their political existence, no matter which political party and ideologies they work with. They all want to prosper and enjoy the power and glamour that ministerial posts could offer them. For them, their political career is the most important thing.

There should be a bare minimum of ethics and loyalty on the part of the leaders towards their voters who elected them through the electoral process. They all were elected not contesting as an independent candidate, instead on a party label or at least with the backing of a particular faction. So they should show the simple ethics to complete their tenure as an elected member affiliated to a particular party, after which they could switch to a different political ideology of their choice and contest in the election.

Ever since the duo, Modi and Amith Shah started ruling the country from 2014 with trumping victory, the political (market) value of elected MLAs and MPs has skyrocketed, in a bid to strengthen the party across India. The easy and fast ways for BJP to strengthen its footprints was to purchase elected MLAs and MPs from other parts, who were struggling within their party to have a bright political career. Through the electoral bond system introduced by the NDA government, BJP benefited with maximum stake of electrical bond, which gives them a great purchasing power.

Most of the elected members being opportunists, when they found their political career in struggle, it was easy for BJP to purchase them. Based on the party they belonged to, political career, and influence, most of the MLAs and MPs let themselves be sold for the highest bid. The other parties were forced to resort to smuggling their MLAs and MPs to private resorts in a desperate attempt to curb the chances of defection.

Anti-defection law in force should have to be further strengthened as to not letting the elected legislators switch parties until they finish their tenure or the house is dispersed. It should be considered as a breech of the voters' trust who voted the person to power based on the party he/she belonged to. But will the politicians axe their own chances of grabbing greener pastures by promulgating such a law?

The legislators are elected as the voters took the pain to come to polling stations and exercise their right to elect their representative. So they should respect the people's mandate and choice. They should also keep in mind that they have to go back to the same people again for the next mandate, at the end of their tenure as legislator.

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