Chandigarh: As the country is all set to elect a new national government, political parties are busy luring leaders in rival camps to build an election wave in their favour.
While the trend is visible across political parties, the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party – seeking a third term in this general election – appears a major beneficiary of “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” syndrome – a term often used for political defection.
In the past too, over one-third of political deserters – who fought both assembly and parliament elections between 2014-21 – joined the BJP, as a report by election watchdog, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) suggested.
The current situation is no different as poll observers blamed this growing ‘infestation’ on the hunger of political parties to win elections by any means possible.
Political analyst Pramod Kumar told The Wire, “We all are passing through a phase in Indian politics where there are no ideological boundaries left in political parties. Winning the election remains the only concern.
“In such a situation, those with more resources and power certainly command more sway over others, he said.
As it is being seen, leaders have switched loyalties in several states including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Bihar and other states.
For instance, as many as three sitting MPs of Punjab – Ravneet Bittu, Preneet Kaur and Sushil Kumar Rinku – joined the BJP in the past week.
While Bittu and Kaur were from Congress, Rinku was from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). While Bittu was picked by none other than Rahul Gandhi to represent the youth wing of the party and was considered close to the Gandhi family, his exit came as a shock for the Congress. Kaur was, of course, waiting for her term as the Patiala MP to get over before she could give her husband Captain Amarinder Singh company in the BJP. Sources said more leaders may join the BJP in the coming days since the party is taking no chances after its alliance with Punjab’s regional party – Shiromani Akali Dal – did not materialise.
While AAP looks in disarray especially after the arrest of its national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, it also poached two notable Congress leaders Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Gurpreet Singh GP in Punjab earlier this month.
While GP has already been declared as AAP’s candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib parliamentary constituency, Chabbewal’s name from the party’s Hoshiarpur seat candidate is expected anytime.
In Himachal, the situation is more delicate. The defection by six Congress MLAs – now disqualified – into BJP has already thrown the Sukhu government on the edge.
Congress is now in the polls not just to win parliamentary seats but also by-elections on assembly seats vacated by party rebels.
In Madhya Pradesh, over 16,000 Congress workers and leaders joined the BJP in the past 10 days since breaking the rival camp organisationally appeared main saffron strategy, as media reports suggest.
In West Bengal, two sitting parliamentarians from the Trinamool Congress – Barrackpore MP and habitual defector Arjun Singh (he had switched to the BJP in 2019 before joining TMC again) and Tamluk MP Dibyendu Adhikari – too joined BJP last week apart from the joining of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Sita Soren, daughter-in-law of JMM president Shibu Soren.
