MARGAO: Congressmen from Margao have called on their MLAs to introduce a private member bill aimed at amending the Xth Schedule of the Constitution of India to address the issue of defections. The group submitted a memorandum to GPCC President Amit Patkar and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, emphasizing the need to curb defections that undermine the trust of the electorate in their representatives.
In their letter, the Congressmen highlighted the impact of repeated defections on voter confidence, noting that even honest and credible candidates are affected by the prevailing climate of distrust. Former MMC Chairperson Savio Coutinho mentioned that their research into the actions of the Margao legislators revealed that a similar Private Member’s Bill was introduced by the then Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat during the Legislative Assembly Session in July 2021. This Bill sought a resolution requesting the Central Government to amend the Xth Schedule to prevent MLAs from defecting for personal gain. However, the status of this bill remains unknown. And ironically, a year later, Kamat himself defected from Congress to join the BJP.
The Congressmen believe that this proposed amendment would benefit not only the Opposition but also the ruling party, as it would protect against defections aimed at toppling the government. “Preventing defectors from re-entering the Congress party through fresh defections is in the best interest of all party members and the Goan electorate,” said the Congress members .
The group suggested that the draft titled ‘Amendment to the Xth Schedule of The Constitution of India’ be submitted to the Secretary of the Goa Legislative Assembly under Rule 101(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao acknowledged the concerns raised about defections and noted that he had previously addressed this issue in the Assembly. He found it noteworthy that Margao MLA Digambar Kamat had previously moved a similar bill and assured the Congressmen from Margao that the party would reintroduce the bill in the house.