Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan demands overhaul of anti-defection law

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday underlined the need for a complete overhaul of the anti-defection law in its current format claiming elected members are jumping parties “brazenly”.

The Anti-Defection law (Tenth schedule) deals with situations of defection in Parliament or state legislatures by members of a political party, independent members, and nominated members and lays the grounds for disqualification of the member.

“The Maharashtra assembly speaker’s verdict on disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs (belonging to the Eknath Shinde camp) would be crucial in Maharashtra politics. It will be crucial for all parties,” Chavan told reporters even as speaker Rahul Narwekar is pronouncing his order on disqualification petitions filed by rival sections of Shiv Sena against each other.

Chavan said the Anti-Defection law was amended when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power, but its objective doesn’t seem to be gaining any success.

“Defections by elected members are going on brazenly. I believe that this law should be changed completely,” said Chavan, a former chief minister.
The senior Congress leader said a “big political earthquake” will come in Maharashtra if 16 MLAs of Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are disqualified by the assembly speaker.

Referring to the alleged delay of 18 months in pronouncing the order on disqualification petitions by Narwekar, Chavan said it is a failure of the system which strengthens his argument for changing the Anti-Defection Law. If any different decision is given by the speaker, the doors of the Supreme Court need to be knocked, said Chavan. The Congress is one of the three constituents of the Shiv Sena (UBT)-led Maha Vikas Aghadi.