It’s officially defection season!

Very soon, leaders of the Congress party looking for a bright future will be flocking into the BJP ranks. Former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath seems prepared to abandon the Congress after former chief minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan joined the BJP.

Because of his misinterpretation of voter preferences and mismanagement of other anti-BJP parties, Nath had given the BJP in Madhya Pradesh a silver platter.

It was evident that Chavan’s influence in Maharashtra politics was waning. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he even lost his seat in Nanded to Prataprao Govindrao Chikhalikar of the BJP. Shankarrao Chavan, his father, was a well-known politician who held positions as Union Home Minister and Chief Minister. Shankarrao’s kid lacked the same moral rectitude about corruption as his father.

Chavan’s newfound pals have nominated him for the Rajya Sabha. Along with other Maharashtra turncoats like Narayan Rane, who was another “candidate” for agency inquiries had he not gone over a few years ago, he would have to fight for a ministership.

Prior to the Lok Sabha elections, there had been an increase in the movement of the disgraced from the opposition to the governing party. Is a Congress-mukt or opposition-mukt society the BJP’s ultimate goal? Those who have dark secrets to hide will lead the winning side, followed by those who are hungry for power or just want to feel significant. The guide is greed. The BJP takes advantage of this.

With 20 out of 36 votes, the AAP-Congress combination was guaranteed victory in the recent Chandigarh mayoral election. To secure the victory of the BJP, the returning officer tampered with eight ballots. The prosecution of the returning officer had to be ordered by the Supreme Court. The AAP-Congress candidate was proclaimed the victor. The BJP, which had previously declared itself to be “different,” executed “Operation Lotus” in order to force three AAP council members to change sides before to the Supreme Court’s ruling.

In our democracy, stealing lawmakers is not a new concept. The titles “Aaya Ram” and “Gaya Ram” were first used some decades ago when Haryana’s political elite began using the tactic of luring elected members of opposing parties to defect in order to topple governments. A certain amount of embarrassment may have crept in, since there was a pause in these antics until 2019, when a large number of Congress MPs moved to the BJP in Goa, drawn by the prospect of political power.

After tasting blood, the BJP has honed its immoral approach to a high art. It succeeded in forcing a sizable portion of the Congress administration in Karnataka to switch allegiances, leading to its overthrow. This game is still being played in Maharashtra. The people who voted against the BJP received a raw deal. On the basis of ideology, they support a certain party, but they are unsure whether the candidates the party has selected to represent them will uphold their goals if they win.

This is one of Indian democracy’s fundamental flaws. It requires immediate attention. No corporator or lawmaker ought to be permitted to switch terms in office. He should resign from the Assembly and run again on the ticket of his new party if he has reservations about the policies of the party whose ticket he was elected on. He may win again if he is well-liked in his district, but at least those who supported him or her on the basis of ideology won’t be disappointed.

It is imperative that we develop a mechanism to counter the threat of “Aaya Rams” coming and “Gaya Rams” leaving for reasons unrelated to their dissatisfaction with the policies the party has chosen to abandon, as the BJP’s new tactic of staying in power at all costs, good or bad, has clearly taken effect.

The incapacity of the Indian parties to see beyond their noses has all but guaranteed their downfall. Expect opposition leaders to face the music to a much greater extent after the results are tallied and Modi returns to North Block for another five-year term. They will have a difficult life because of the ED, the CBI, and other Central agencies. The only people who may hope to have their sins forgiven are those who cross over.

The Constitution may be amended if the BJP wins a two-thirds majority in Parliament. Particularly women will be required to adhere to strict moral standards. The Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which limits options for love and marriage, was implemented by Uttarakhand’s holier-than-thou Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and would discourage live-in relationships, which are increasingly widespread among the urban emancipated millennials.

As long as the UCC’s goal is to guarantee that women get the same treatment as males, I have no objections. Women’s rights to inherit their father’s possessions and to choose their life partner should be respected. The right to inherit and the freedom to select one’s spouse are of utmost importance, while there are many associated concerns such as divorce and adoption.

Recommending the BJP to stop taking corrupt members of opposition parties into its fold is a foolish move. This is the BJP’s moment. In addition to inaugurating a Hindu temple in a nation where Muslims predominate, Modi also obtained the release of eight former Navy sailors who had been given death sentences by a Qatari court for suspected espionage. Modi also dedicated the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Sadly, there are problems with counterbalancing. One such problem is the farmers’ struggle for a formal guarantee for MSP purchases. Conceding to the demand would undermine budgetary prudence. Another is the ongoing conflict in Manipur. Though it is unable to stop the blazing fire, the BJP knows who is to blame. The Meitei vote would be questioned if the inept chief minister Biren Singh is removed. Another problem that defies consensus is the reservation of Marathas. The journey will not be simple!

Modi has a lot more of these issues to address, but he is waiting to take action until after the Lok Sabha elections.