Khalap moots limit on size of ministries

The note is likely to be put up before the steering committee of the United Front which is meeting tomorrow.

Law Minister Ramakant Khalap told reporters today that other proposals to plug the loopholes in the anti-defection law include the provision relating to splits in political parties. Under the existing law, it requires one-third of the strength of the legislature party to form a separate group without inviting disqualification. The proposal now is to increase it to half the strength of the legislature party or two-thirds of it.

The Constitution will have to be amended to give effect to the proposal.Khalap said there was also a suggestion that the law should be amended to automatically disqualify a member of a legislature party the moment he joins another party. There were also demands from some quarters that the existing law should be scrapped in its entirety and a fresh one enacted.

While the United Front government, egged on by the Congress, appears keen on amending the law, the BJP saw a vested interest in the moves.

Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and BJP leader said that the sudden interest in changing the law was prompted by splits in the Congress and the Janata Dal in Uttar Pradesh.

“Had the Kalyan Singh government been dismissed or the Congress manoeuvered to come to power, none of the worthies who are today so vocal in demanding amendments to the anti-defection law would have uttered a word,” he said.Vajpayee favoured disqualification of any legislator who quit his party but suggested limiting the scope of whip defiance for disqualification of a member.

He said that the anti-defection law was flawed on two counts — putting a premium on mass defections and imposing unacceptable fetters on legislators during a vote in the House.