ANALYSIS
Mockery of Democracy
The BJP may find safe haven in the rule books of the law to justify their
trust vote win in Maharashtra, but prudency will declare it unethical
BY Dr.G.John
I
n a political battleground, when
you are not sure of winning the
battle with your enemy, there
are several options that a ruling party
can adopt, by fair means as enshrined
in the rule book of the law: a) change
the rules of the battle, b) change the
battleground, (like we prepare our
cricket pitches) to suit your players’
strengths and weaknesses, c) have
your own umpire who will protect
your interest, d) can indulge in horsetrading, e) find the weakest link in
the rule book and manipulate, f)
can have the luxury of owning the
Governor who will function as the
spokesperson of the ruling party, and
g) use the law effectively to expel or
dismiss the opposing party and evict
them from the floor of the house
before voting takes place.
It is immaterial whether they are
ethical or not. In Indian power politics
‘ethics’ is an orphaned child.
Almost all the political parties,
both in assemblies and in parliament,
have adopted these means to win
the trust vote! All in the name of so
called democracy! Sorry, my logical
sense doesn’t allow me to believe
that we have democracy in India. If
democracy means ‘by the people, of
the people, and for the people’, then
we have never had a government
or governance amplifying the basic
Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra CM
In Indian power politics
‘ethics’ is an orphaned child
tenets of democratic principles. I am not ready to believe
that just because Indian populace is given suffrage, we have
democracy. In letter, yes we have democracy, but in spirit
we have ‘demonocracy’ (democracy by the evil). We have
clothed this ‘demonocracy’ with legal sanctions so that evil
can flourish in India unabated.
What we have witnessed in Maharashtra Assembly is
yet another episode in that direction. There are many good
things about it. First, it has given quite a good stuff to
News channels to discuss, and to deliberate. Almost all the
channels ceased this opportunity to have discussion (without
any conclusion or solution). Secondly, it has generated solid
substance to fill up front pages of newspapers (including
the editorials) and other print media. Thirdly, we are able to
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ANALYSIS
Shiv Sena registers protest
keep all the party spokespersons engaged. Fourthly, rank and file of
the various political parties have something to chew, otherwise they
will become highly disengaged. Last but not the least; we have given
some stuff for the intellectuals to deliberate, of course in a fruitless
exercise. I say this because intellectuals have no place in democracy,
neither their voice is heard nor they are welcomed.
The shameless politicians will do anything and everything to
garner power and post. Though the BJP in Maharashtra is a minority
government, the speaker of the assembly chose to follow the ‘voice
vote’ method to test the floor of the house which was very slippery.
Party workers celebrate after BJP government in Maharashtra won the trust vote
2424
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We do not know who voted
and for whom the MLAs voted.
The entire process of ‘winning
the trust’ was over in just two
minutes among pandemonium.
Before the MLAs could realize
what was happening, vote
was taken and result was
announced by the speaker. It was
a premeditated calculation that
the BJP has foisted and executed
to avoid hard questioning by
Arnob Goswami and other TV
comperes. Now, there is a sigh
of relief for the BJP camp. They
don’t have to answer questions
like these: a) “You declared NCP
as the Naturally Corrupt Party
and your entire poll campaign
highlighted the corruption of
NCP erstwhile MLAs, now how
come you have taken the support
of that Naturally Corrupt
Party. Is it not like abandoning
and betraying the people of
Maharashtra and the people who
voted you?”
The olive branch extended by
the NCP is a blessing in disguise
for BJP. There are more than one
reason for the BJP to smile at the
end of this trust vote episode: a)
They can now brazenly say that
they have not taken the support
of the NCP, b) they have kept the
ever intimidating Sena at bay, c) it
has saved deputy chief minister’s
post and a dozen cabinet berths
which otherwise would be
claimed by the Sena, and d)
they can announce to the whole
world from the rooftop that they
have fulfilled the mandate of
the people of Maharashtra by
proving a stable government.
They can even defend this unfair
means as ‘the right choice in the
interest of the people’.
If there is one single reason
for the NCP to join hands, it is
to evade serious action from
the BJP government into the
misdemeanour of some of its
ANALYSIS
Congress MLAs obstruct Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao
from entering Vidhan Bhavan
erstwhile corrupt ministers. But the reason put forth by NCP is that
“We know our decision will invite stringent criticism for joining
hands with communal forces, but we decided to support the BJP to
provide a stable government.” You may just discount this statement
as absurd.
With a powerful PM and strategic President, it is easy for the BJP
to invade into the territory of another political party poaching for
culpable MLAs and party cadres. Their immediate prey would be
Sena MLAs and its rank and file. Already one MP has crossed over
to BJP and has become a minister in the Modi government. We can
expect many such misadventures by BJP in future. And they will
succeed!
The manner in which the trust vote was taken can’t be justified. BJP
being a minority government ought to have proven their numbers
in clear cut terms. In parliament and assembly, it is always a number
game. You win if you have numbers, by hook or crook. But the BJP
has chosen to prove majority without requisite numbers.
The stand of NCP was not clear: first they said they would abstain
from voting, and later on they said they would support the motion.
What would they have done had the vote been taken, only God knows!
No other political party, other than Sena, had hinted of supporting the
BJP government. And the BJP hasn’t accepted the Sena’s support. That
means BJP was having just 121 MLAs falling short by 23 to survive.
As BJP hasn’t accepted the Sena’s support, with NCPs unclear stand,
and congress choosing to oppose the motion, it is highly unethical to
opt for voice vote. In this mode, the individual (the speaker) becomes
the deciding authority. If he says he heard ‘ayes’ more, the motion is
passed. Voice vote is suitable when the party has clear cut numbers.
But a minority government, not knowing from where they would
have got those 23 more MLAs,
should not have adopted voice
vote.
It is immaterial whether
division of votes was demanded
or not. First, it is obligatory for
the BJP to prove the numbers
in clear terms. The onus of
demanding for a division by
the opposing party can’t be a
justifiable argument given the
circumstances. Before they were
on their senses, the whole process
seems to have been completed.
The speaker changed the order of
the agenda, and a voice vote was
taken. This created a din on the
floor and chaos ensued. It seems
trust vote was taken in a hurried
manner giving little time for the
opposition to react. The BJP may
find safe haven in the rule books
of the law, but prudency will
declare it unethical.
This is how a party with 27.8%
of the total votes claims to have
the mandate of the people.
Indian democracy is modelled to
entrust governance in the hands
of a party that has been rejected
by the majority. Not having been
accepted by 72% of people of
Maharashtra, the BJP is going
to rule for another five years, in
the name of democracy. There
will arise many circumstances
where they will have to prove
their numbers on the floor and
they will manage to prove their
numbers, by hook or crook,
citing several rules in their
favour. After all it is the business
of all the political parties in
India. They have done it in the
past many a times and they will
continue to do in future too. The
ultimate losers are the public
who cast their votes and suffer
for a term of five years. And
after five years, they will choose
to suffer at the hands of another
political party.
(The writer is Associate Professor, St.
Joseph’s College, Trichy)
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