8 .Explain the recent efforts taken in our country to Reform political parties and its leaders .
Answers
The following steps should be taken to reform the political parties:
(i) Anti-Defection Law Under the Anti-Defection Law, MLAs and MPs cannot change party after the election. This was done as many elected candidates were indulging in defection in order to become ministers or for cash rewards. Now, according to this law, if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose the seat in Legislature. At the same time, this law has made any dissent even more difficult. MPs and MLAs have to accept whatever the party leaders decide.
(ii) Affidavit Now, it is mandatory for every candidate, who contests elections to file an affidavit giving details of his property and criminal cases pending against him.
(iii) The Election Commission passed an order making it necessary for political parties to hold their organisational elections and file their income tax returns.
(iv) It should be made mandatory for the parties to give one-third of their party tickets to women candidates, thus women can take part in the decision-making bodies of the party.
Answer:
The main vision of the constitution makers cannot be achieved until the representatives of the people don't follow democratic practices within the political parties. Some measures were taken by the government to reform political parties have been:
(i) Anti-defection law, which states that if any sitting MLA or MP changes his party, he will lose his seat in the legislature.
(ii) It is mandatory now for every candidate to furnish all details related to the assets, criminal cases pending.
(iii) Election Commission has made it mandatory for parties to hold regular elections a file income tax.
(iv) The recent judgment by Supreme Court that disqualifies convicted MP's and MLA's who have sentenced to more than two years of imprisonment by the lower court and whose appeal against their conviction is pending and is debarred from contesting elections is considered to be the landmark decision by the apex court to clean the system.
These are the few reforms made by the government to ensure transparency and make the parties accountable. However these reforms should be followed in the spirit also along with the letter, only then the democracy will be deepened.