BJP's Lok Sabha candidate list reveals significant defection trend, nearly 25% candidates are defect
New Delhi: Out of the total 435 candidates that BJP has finalised for Lok Sabha polls, 106 candidates are those who have switched allegiances in the last 10 years. This is particularly seen in states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, reflecting a significant trend of political defections across multiple states.
While it's not uncommon for leaders to switch allegiances in Indian politics, the scale at which this has occurred within the BJP's candidate list is striking. Out of the 435 candidates fielded by the BJP, a staggering 106 have joined the party from other political entities in the last decade, with 90 of them making the switch within the last five years alone.
Andhra Pradesh stands out with six BJP candidates originating from other parties since 2019, including unexpected shifts from Congress, YSRCP, and even the BJP's current ally, TDP. Similarly, in Telangana, almost two-thirds of the BJP's 17 candidates are defectors, primarily from BRS and Congress, with six joining the party just ahead of the elections.
While Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are states where BJP has had at best a limited presence in the past, even in Haryana, where it has been helping the state govt for a decade, six of its 10 candidates are those who have switched sides from 2014 onwards. Two of them — Naveen Jindal and Ashok Tanwar — joined in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls.
Punjab is also not far behind with over half the party’s 13 candidates having been drawn from those who were in other parties till not too long back. Some of them were in Congress but quit along with Amarinder Singh and became part of BJP when he merged his fledgling outfit with the saffron party.
Surprisingly, Uttar Pradesh, traditionally a stronghold for the BJP, also reflects a high proportion of defectors among its candidates, constituting 31% of the party's nominees in the state.
In Jharkhand, seven out of thirteen candidates have a history of membership in other political parties, dating back a decade or less. These candidates have defected from parties such as JMM, Congress, and the former Jharkhand Vikas Morcha. Notably, among them is Sita Soren, sister-in-law of the state's former chief minister, Hemant Soren.
The prevalence of such defectors in Odisha (29%) and Tamil Nadu (26%) is unsurprising, considering that these states have not traditionally been strongholds of the BJP. In Maharashtra, where a quarter of the candidates have switched sides, this trend reflects the significant political upheaval witnessed in the state, particularly in recent years.
West Bengal shares a similar proportion of such candidates with Maharashtra, while all other states have lower proportions. Even in Gujarat, widely regarded as the BJP's stronghold, two candidates have shifted to the party since 2014.
This analysis does not factor in allies contesting on BJP tickets. However, it does account for five instances of what could be termed as "gharwapsi" - BJP members who had previously switched to other parties but have returned to their original party fold. Notable examples include Jagdish Shettar in Karnataka, Udayanraje Bhonsale in Maharashtra, and Sakshi Maharaj in Uttar Pradesh.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
