<p>Goa has again proved true to its tradition with the defection of eight Congress MLAs to the BJP. It is difficult to pinpoint one single reason for the quicksilver conduct of the legislators. The permissive politics that has ruled the state for many years, the weakness of the Congress party and the predatory practices pursued by the BJP have all played their part in the decision of the legislators to shift stables. Even a novel preventive measure taken by the Congress proved to be ineffective. The party had taken all its candidates to a temple, a church and a dargah to take a vow that they would not defect after winning the election. But the vow has not worked. Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat comically claimed that he had got god’s permission to switch loyalty. Morality, the law, and even divinity, have all failed.</p>.<p>The Congress, which had 11 MLAs after the February election, has only a rump of three in the Assembly now. After some of its senior leaders, including Kamat and Leader of the Opposition Michael Lobo, have crossed over to the other side, the party is now leaderless and rudderless in the state. It has seen such exodus in other states also and has been unable to stop the bleeding. The party saw mass desertions in Arunachal Pradesh in 2018, in Gujarat and Karnataka in 2019, in Madhya Pradesh in 2020 and in West Bengal in 2021, and retail defections all through the years. The reasons are many. That it is not in power and is therefore unable to dispense positions and privilege is, of course, the main reason. Add to that an uninspiring and uncertain central leadership, ideological incoherence, organisational weakness, frustration and lack of direction among lower-level leaders and cadres. The trouble in Goa had been simmering for weeks. The leadership was unable to prevent the desertions, though it cannot be said that it did not try. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/goa-congress-rebels-offered-up-to-rs-50-cr-to-engineer-split-aicc-state-in-charge-1145445.html" target="_blank">Goa Congress rebels offered up to Rs 50 cr to engineer split: AICC state in-charge</a></strong></p>.<p>The BJP has perfected the technique of inorganic growth through hostile acquisitions and that is creating a monopoly that kills political competition. Competition among parties and electoral contests are essential features of democracy. When electoral outcomes are made irrelevant through purchase and defections of MLAs and governments are toppled and new majorities created, democracy is undermined. Sooner or later, there will be no opposition. The argument that the Opposition legislators left their parties on their own and joined the BJP for reasons related to governance or ideology is false and self-serving. The BJP has been actively complicit in all the defections. But it is unfortunate that people have re-elected most of the defectors when they contested the elections under their new banner. </p>
<p>Goa has again proved true to its tradition with the defection of eight Congress MLAs to the BJP. It is difficult to pinpoint one single reason for the quicksilver conduct of the legislators. The permissive politics that has ruled the state for many years, the weakness of the Congress party and the predatory practices pursued by the BJP have all played their part in the decision of the legislators to shift stables. Even a novel preventive measure taken by the Congress proved to be ineffective. The party had taken all its candidates to a temple, a church and a dargah to take a vow that they would not defect after winning the election. But the vow has not worked. Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat comically claimed that he had got god’s permission to switch loyalty. Morality, the law, and even divinity, have all failed.</p>.<p>The Congress, which had 11 MLAs after the February election, has only a rump of three in the Assembly now. After some of its senior leaders, including Kamat and Leader of the Opposition Michael Lobo, have crossed over to the other side, the party is now leaderless and rudderless in the state. It has seen such exodus in other states also and has been unable to stop the bleeding. The party saw mass desertions in Arunachal Pradesh in 2018, in Gujarat and Karnataka in 2019, in Madhya Pradesh in 2020 and in West Bengal in 2021, and retail defections all through the years. The reasons are many. That it is not in power and is therefore unable to dispense positions and privilege is, of course, the main reason. Add to that an uninspiring and uncertain central leadership, ideological incoherence, organisational weakness, frustration and lack of direction among lower-level leaders and cadres. The trouble in Goa had been simmering for weeks. The leadership was unable to prevent the desertions, though it cannot be said that it did not try. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/national-politics/goa-congress-rebels-offered-up-to-rs-50-cr-to-engineer-split-aicc-state-in-charge-1145445.html" target="_blank">Goa Congress rebels offered up to Rs 50 cr to engineer split: AICC state in-charge</a></strong></p>.<p>The BJP has perfected the technique of inorganic growth through hostile acquisitions and that is creating a monopoly that kills political competition. Competition among parties and electoral contests are essential features of democracy. When electoral outcomes are made irrelevant through purchase and defections of MLAs and governments are toppled and new majorities created, democracy is undermined. Sooner or later, there will be no opposition. The argument that the Opposition legislators left their parties on their own and joined the BJP for reasons related to governance or ideology is false and self-serving. The BJP has been actively complicit in all the defections. But it is unfortunate that people have re-elected most of the defectors when they contested the elections under their new banner. </p>
