Anti-defection law has failed to achieve intended goals: Ex-Speaker Ramesh Kumar
Bengaluru, Jul 29: Defending his decision to disqualify 17 rebel MLAs, K R Ramesh Kumar, who quit as Assembly Speaker Monday, rued that the 10th Schedule of the Constitution dealing with the anti-defection law failed to achieve the intended goals and stressed for a relook into it .
Kumar, whose tenure as Speaker spanned for 14 months and four days, said electoral reforms were the need of the hour.
"The root cause of corruption in public life in the country is electoral system. There is a need for electoral reforms.
Speaking about eradicating corruption without electoral reforms will only be a hollow intellectual talk without any commitment," Kumar said.
He delivered his final speech in the assembly as Speaker after the three-day old BJP government headed by B S Yediyurappa proved its majority in the truncated state Assembly winning the confidence motion by a voice vote.
He announced his resignation, amid reports that the BJP was mulling moving a no-confidence motion against him.
Kumar insisted that the House should pressure the Centre to initiate measures for electoral reforms.
He requested assemblies of all state governments to pass resolutions and build pressure on the Centre to strengthen the anti-defection law.
His appeal came against the backdrop of 17 MLAs of the ruling coalition of Congress and the JD(S) tendering their resignation, leading to political turmoil and culminating in its collapse.
Treating their conduct questionable,Kumar disqualified them ahead of the trust vote sought by Yediyurappa.
On the occasion, he urged political parties to behave in a manner that democratic values are not diminished.
In this regard, he asked politicians to never advance their personal and family interest and destroy the political parties they belong to.
Kumar cautioned Yediyurappa to be careful with people surrounding him and reminded him that he got the second chance for a reason which he should use to leave an indelible mark on the people of the state.
He also sought a relook at the Representation of the People Act and the Lokayukta Act.
On the Lokayukta Act, Kumar wondered why there was no clause to explain what would happen if a public servant refused to provide details of assets and liabilities.
Further he sought to know why the election commission never orders an inquiry when someone declares massive assets to find out where the money came from.
"Once the affidavit is filed, it should be sent to the Enforcement Directorate and an inquiry should happen.
Every detail should be laid bare before the people.
Then only the democracy will survive in this country. Then only, it will give relief to the citizens of this country," Kumar said.
Seventeen rebel MLAs (Congress-14 and JDS-3) had skipped the Assembly session during the trust vote proceedings on July 23, bringing down the Kumaraswamy government which lost the confidence motion with 99 members voting in favour and 105 against it.
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England''s improbable task: Can it chase down 435 to keep Ashes hopes alive?
Adelaide (AP): Ben Stokes and his England bowling attack did everything possible Saturday morning to keep the Ashes series alive, taking six Australian wickets for 78 runs and setting up a target of 435 to win the third cricket test.
It would take a world-record chase to win at the Adelaide Oval, but with a relatively flat wicket and five sessions remaining it wasn't entirely out of the question.
It didn't start well for England, with Australia skipper Pat Cummins taking a wicket with his second ball to remove Ben Duckett (4).
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At lunch on Day 4, England was 5-1 and needed 430 for an unlikely victory. Australia needed nine wickets to clinch the series with two tests to spare.
After losing the first two tests in Perth and Brisbane, England needs a victory to keep the five-match series alive. Australia needs only a draw to retain the Ashes.
Still, for England, it's a far better equation than it appeared at stumps on Day 3, when Australia reached 271-4 in its second innings, a lead of 356, with Travis Head unbeaten on 142 and Alex Carey on 52.
The Australians, already with a 2-0 series lead and needing only a draw in Adelaide to retain the Ashes, were all out for 349, a lead of 434. Travis Head's dismissal for 170 triggered a lower-order collapse, with the last six wickets falling for 38 in 11 overs.
The record test run chase was West Indies' 418 in a three-wicket win over Australia at Antigua in 2003.
England has successfully chased 370-plus targets twice to win against India in the last three years.
England's rallyMomentum was all Australia's way initially, even to the point of getting an extra run when a fielder's throw at the non-striker's end deflected and rolled away to allow the batters to return for 2.
Head raised his 150 soon after, and gave a very brisk wave ot the bat to acknowledge it.
His 219-run innings came when he pulled a short ball from Josh Tongue (4-70) high and deep into the outfield where Zak Crawley took a catch looking into the sun at deep mid-wicket.
The end of the 162-run fifth-wicket stand had Australia at 311-5 in the eighth over of Day 4.
Carey took the lead to 400 with a cut boundary off Stokes, leaving the England skipper grimacing and shaking his head.
Josh Inglis got a reprieve on 3 when he was adjudged lbw to Stokes but immediately reviewed and had the decision overturned. At that stage, Australia led by 409.
Stokes made a momentum-swinging breakthrough when he had Carey out for 72, tucking a short ball around the corner and caught at leg slip.
Brydon Carse (3-80) was on a hat-trick when he had Cummins (6) caught behind, stretching to swat a wider ball, and trapped Nathan Lyon lbw on the next ball.
No. 11 Scott Boland left a wide ball to deny England its first Ashes hat-trick since 1999, but he was out soon after when Jofra Archer (1-20) had him fending away a short ball and offering a return catch.
