Netas for sale
''It has become a Sabha for crooks and businessmen.''
Suspicions that cash was exchanging hands to get aspirants to the Rajya Sabha elected have been confirmed by a sting operation conducted by a television news channel. MLAs of the Jharkhand Assembly across party lines have been captured on camera offering their votes in exchange for money, even offering to play brokers to cut deals that will deliver the candidate the votes of other MLAs. The MLAs are seen selling their vote for candidates whose identity they don’t know. Their only interest is the amount of money they will be paid. One MLA is seen haggling for a car as well. That money is doled out by political parties and politicians to voters during elections is well known. Senior ministers have been caught on camera distributing wads of notes during elections. MPs have been found taking money to ask questions on certain subjects in parliament. That money exchanges hands during government formation or crucial votes of confidence in parliament and state Assemblies is not news any longer. Instances of corruption among our elected representatives does not raise eyebrows any longer, indicating how accustomed we have become to seeing our MLAs and MPs buy and sell votes. Even so, the details laid bare by the sting operation have left the people of this country disgusted as never before. It has laid bare the extreme depths to which our elected representatives have sunk, how easy it is to seal deals with them, how purchasable they are.
The House of Elders as the Rajya Sabha is often referred to is meant to strengthen India’s federalism. The elders were largely eminent people who represented in parliament the interests of the state from which they were voted. Decades ago, these elders raised the quality of debate in the House. That sadly is history. Over the years, the Rajya Sabha has ceased to be what the framers of our constitution envisaged as its role. It has become a Sabha for sale with businessmen and crooks using their monetary muscle to buy their way into the Upper House. The Jharkhand MLAs have their equivalents in other states, including Karnataka.
The Chief Election Commissioner has promised action. India will be looking to the CEC to take stern action against the MLAs. But action in this case alone is not enough. We need tough laws that prevent this trading in votes.
