Democracy plays a crucial and significant role for every individual in the country. Whether they are citizens or politicians, everyone plays an important role in the functioning of democracy. In politics, politicians have the democratic right to choose their political party to represent. Democratic representation can only be performed through consent. But, Congress doesn’t seem to understand it as it once again resorts to its infamous “resort politics.”
Congress re-enacting “resort politics”
The Congress leadership has summoned its 31 Haryana MLAs. This also includes the top leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. This step has been initiated for a meeting in New Delhi on Thursday amidst the cross-voting on June 10 Rajya Sabha polling. The Congress party leadership is intended to hold a party meeting of all MLAs and further will send them to Chattisgarh’s capital Raipur.
This comes after the son of expelled leader and former Union minister Venod Sharma and media baron Kartikeya Sharma filed the nomination papers as independent candidates in Rajya Sabha polling for Haryana. He is supported by 10 MLAs of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) in Haryana. He is also likely to gain the support of the BJP and various other MLAs.
Vivek Bansal, Haryana party affairs in charge said, “Yes, the party high command has asked all MLAs to reach Delhi on Thursday. A Meeting of all the MLAs shall be held at 15, RG road, Delhi. Rahulji is not there in Delhi, but it is not yet clear if Congress president Sonia Gandhi or somebody else will chair the meeting.”
Bansal has also admitted that the party has summoned all the MLAs to avoid cross-polling during Rajya Sabha polling. He said, “There is also a possibility that all the MLAs shall be sent out of Haryana and kept together at a hotel/ resort. Further course of action shall be decided, after the meeting at New Delhi.”
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Is congress an ambassador of resort politics?
“Resort politics” has always been at the core of the election strategy of the Congress party. It’s been a popular trend in recent years to prevent the plunder of MLAs by other parties. Amid the crucial Rajya Sabha elections on June 10, the Congress party has just shifted to its tried and tested strategy.
BJP leads the ruling alliance in Haryana which gives an opportunity to the MLAs to tilt towards the victorious party in most of the states. It has been evident that the Congress party as a whole is trying hard to attain its position in Indian politics but they are constantly failing.
Resort politics is a term in Indian politics where MLAs are sent to luxurious resorts, either to cause or prevent a sudden transfer of power. Congress as a political party can be considered an ambassador of this political trend.
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The history of Congress trying to reserve its own MLAs
There are numerous instances where Congress has proven its ownership of resort politics. In Madhya Pradesh, there were several MLAs who determined the survival of the Kamal Nath government through a trust vote in the Assembly and were sent to Bengaluru.
Afraid of the possibility that JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar, who had been invited to form the government, would lure their legislators in Bihar, the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal sent their MLAs to a hotel in Patna in 2000. Mr Kumar was Chief Minister for seven days before he lost the trust vote.
In another recent instance, Congress is confining its MLAs from Rajasthan. The Congress is planning to house its 108 Rajasthan MLAs and some other MLAs supporting it at the Udaipur resort from 4 to 9 June.
The congress party’s fear of its opposition, especially the BJP, has been evident in Indian politics. Due to this, “resort politics” becomes the last resort for the congress party to establish its survival.
Sonia Gandhi-led party’s MLAs have now realised their significance in the party. But the Congress leadership is unable to understand that a deliberate attempt to reserve its MLAs cannot help the party without the MLA’s own consent.