PROSPECTIVE LAWMAKERS TAKE PLEDGE NOT TO DEFECT FROM PARTY

One of the challenges of smaller political parties in India is to keep its members together after being elected to a Constitutional body and if there is no anti-defection law than this challenge transforms into a nightmare.

So a regional political party in Meghalaya,

an Indian State in the northeast, came up with a unique way to keep its members together and not jump fences once elected. The members of the political party were administered an pledge at a public forum to stay within the party and not defect after being elected in the upcoming district council elections.

It was a first of its kind  pledge that the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Party (KHNAM) administered to about ten of its members who have filed their nominations for the February 24 District Council polls. The event was kept public at the State Central Library and the media was invited.

The prospective candidates first paid their respect to the freedom fighters, laid wreath and sought their blessings for the upcoming elections. Then the candidates were administered their pledge by the party president, Pyndapborthiaw Saiborne.

It was pledge that KHNAM members once elected would continue to work for the welfare of the indigenous tribal population and stay united in the party. In the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, despite being a Constitutional body, the anti-defection law is not applicable.

Saiborne said because the law is not applicable, members of the council has defected from one political party to another on several occasions. He believes that the one-of-its-kind pledge would compel the members to think twice now before trying to defect.

But skeptics argue that oaths and pledges are just symbolic gestures and hold no meaning for many of the country’s lawmakers, including the members of the district councils. They say, despite vowing to work for the people some indulge in rampant corruption and do just the opposite to what they have pledged.

But a senior local journalist covering district council affairs say that though such a pledge taking event was unheard of, it would have some impact. “The district council elections and affairs are slightly different from those of the Assembly and Lok Sabha. The people would definitely ridicule those who change their parties after being elected and that might discourage defection to an extent,” the journalist was of the view.