Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday sought revisiting of the role of the Speaker while testing the majority of a Government and implementing provisions of anti-defection law as the Congress apparently won the high-stakes trial of strength in the Uttarakhand Assembly.
“In the backdrop of what has happened in Uttarakhand, we have to revisit the Speaker’s role vis-a-vis the issue of testing of majority and also in the implementation of anti- defection law,” Naidu said.
“I want the debate to take place in this country,” he said, adding there has to be a time limit set for deciding on cases of anti-defection law. The senior BJP leader also suggested that all public representatives once deciding to quit their
party and join another should resign forthwith and may seek a fresh mandate.
The Minister said, “Any people’s representative, be it an MlA or MP, if he changes his party and switches over his loyalty, he should forthwith resign as per the spirit of the Constitution and recontest.” He said if a public representative switches his loyalty to join another party “he should be disqualified immediately.”
Incidentally, a number of Telugu Desam MlAs have joined TRS in Telangana and those of YSR (Cong) joining Telugu Desam party in Andhra Pradesh, not evoking any action under the anti-defection law.