Ten days before the start of what is forecast to be a conflict-ridden Winter Session of Parliament, Biju Janata Dal MP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda has said the Upper House of Parliament cannot have a “veto” on legislative business as it has today and asked for reforms in the Constitution to remedy the situation.
Mr. Panda was speaking at the second India Ideas Conclave organised by the India Foundation here.
During a session on “new politics,” Mr. Panda said very often legislative business ran aground at the Upper House. Constitutionally that could be considered as “part of the checks and balances in the system, but the unelected cannot be allowed to have a veto.” Mr. Panda’s views echoed that of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also termed the Upper House “unelected” and rued the powers of the Rajya Sabha to block legislation, apart from money Bills.
The constituents of the erstwhile UPA hold sway in the Upper House and have often come together to block the government’s plans for legislation.
In the second part of the Budget session, the Opposition had attacked the government for turning ordinary Bills into money Bills to circumvent the Rajya Sabha (the RS cannot overturn the Lok Sabha on money bills). Mr. Panda’s party, the BJD, had not allied either with the NDA or the erstwhile UPA, but supported the government on crucial Bills and issues.
Mr. Panda also wanted the authority of a political party to issue a whip on every legislation to be diluted. “The power to issue a whip should be restricted to money Bills, or a confidence vote in Parliament; on other issues, legislators should be allowed to vote according to their conscience,” he said.
Legislators are now subject to discipline in voting by the party whip, violation of which, via cross voting could attract the provisions of the anti-defection law on the member. Mr. Panda has privately taken up the question of these reforms with other MPs and senior members of the government. He has also sponsored a progressive private member’s Bill on transgender rights in the Lok Sabha. Private member’s Bills are often the only avenue for MPs to push issues of their interest and solicit support.
