With people tired of soaring prices, tiny state of Meghalaya is now burdened with perks, pay and privileges of not one but four Chief Ministers by virtue of India witnessing worst of democratic form of governance which requires numbers rather than quality to govern. It was a golden era when ‘rulers were for the people’. Now it has changed as ‘people for the rulers’. BJP which is now criticising Congress for absurdity of having four Chief Ministers did nothing during its regime to reform so as to reform the system qualitative also rather than being only quantitative. It was BJP which during the NDA regime diluted original recommendations of Administrative Reforms Commission to have fifteen rather than ten per cent ministers out of total strength of Lower House in name of political consensus.
Things can only improve by permanently doing away with system of political bargain to elect Chief Ministers. Chief Minister should be elected by secret and compulsory vote of all MLAs through EVMs on nominations signed by at least one-third members. Such an elected Chief Minister may be removed by the same process but with compulsion of naming alternate leader in the same motion. Even Speakers and Deputy Speakers should be elected simultaneously with Chief Ministers in the same manner. Ministerial-strength may then be ten per cent of strength of Lower House. All other posts with ‘red-light’ cars like of Parliamentary Secretaries and even Ministers of State may be abolished. Constitutional provision of having Political Rehabilitation Centres in name of Legislative Councils (Vidhan Parishads) should be repealed.
Madhu Agrawal
Delhi