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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Spokesperson TKS Elangovan on Monday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using pressure tactics to bring leaders from other parties into its fold and raised questions over the applicability of anti-defection law provisions in cases involving large-scale party switching, while calling such moves "unethical."
Speaking to ANI, Elangovan said that under existing rules, elected representatives who switch parties after polls are liable to lose their seats, but noted that the exact threshold under the anti-defection law needs to be examined. "As per the rule, when somebody shifts his party position after getting elected from another party, his post will automatically go. But there is a number fixed on that. I don't know that number because with 10 MPs, 7 MPs had shifted allegiance. Whether it is permissible or not has to be seen. Because if two or three MPs go, they will definitely lose their position. But with seven MPs, I don't know whether the number will save them. Because there is a certain percentage. If somebody shifts from one party to another as an MLA or an MP, they will definitely lose their position. But there is a number fixed for that. I think it is two-thirds or something like that. That we have to check," he said. Elangovan further alleged that such developments were being driven by pressure politics from the BJP, calling it "unethical". "No, this is under pressure from the BJP. They (BJP) are known for all such kinds of unethical tactics. They have done it in many places. They are in power in many states... including Maharashtra, only because of this malpractice," he said. He also questioned the ideological basis of leaders switching parties, arguing that parties with differing political ideologies were being merged through political influence. "What is the ideology of the BJP? These parties will not accept the BJP's ideology. But somehow they put pressure on them and bring them to their fold. It is wrong because the BJP's ideology is different. How can they take people from other parties? Those who were earlier in Congress, those who were earlier in some other parties, those who were earlier in Akali Dal. How can they bring all these people to their party? Akali Dal's ideology is totally against the BJP's ideology. The Punjabi Sikhs are against a religion which came out of Hinduism. So in many cases, these people differ ideologically. And shamelessly, the BJP does all this politics. That's all," he said. The comments came after the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a major setback after its Rajya Sabha MPs, including Raghav Chadha, who was removed as the party's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha earlier, joined the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday. While addressing a presser in the national capital on Friday, Chadha formalised a split that had been building for weeks, announcing that two-thirds of the party's Upper House members would merge with the BJP. The trio MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal -- announced a split in the party and joined the BJP later in the presence of party chief Nitin Nabin, who welcomed the decision. (ANI)
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