Opinion House of discontent

Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Das has accused BSP supremo Mayawati of selling party nominations, while the latter has claimed the MP offered her Rs 100 crore for renomination. The veracity of these allegations is difficult to prove, but the controversy puts elections to the Upper House under the scanner yet again. Two years ago, the Election Commission was forced to cancel the Rajya Sabha election in Jharkhand after allegations of horse-trading surfaced and a large amount of cash was seized from a car that belonged to a candidate’s relative. A year ago, a senior Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the House was becoming a cherished destination for businessmen who were willing to pay up to Rs 100 crore for a seat. Under pressure, the MP withdrew his comment, but it is a fact that a Rajya Sabha nomination has become much sought after, and some of its MPs are nominees of political parties with which they share a tenuous link and are elected from states where they are not domiciled.

The Constitution envisages the Rajya Sabha as a House of Elders that would represent the interests of states, act as a sounding board for the Lok Sabha, conduct nuanced discussions on public affairs and, when necessary, advise the Lower House if it conducts itself poorly. The Rajya Sabha is also meant to reflect the social, political and intellectual diversity of the country, which it did in the early years of the republic. Political parties have since have lost sight of the original mandate of the Rajya Sabha. The Upper House is now increasingly seen by parties as a place to park loyalists who are unwilling to contest elections or incapable of winning them, placate potential rebels, and even reward party-hoppers. Mayawati’s comment while refusing to renominate Das is instructive. Das was made a Rajya Sabha member because he promised “to connect his community with the BSP” and was denied the seat a second time because he failed to do so.

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Ironically, with regional parties gaining a presence in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House has become reflective of India’s diversity and federal character, while the Rajya Sabha has ceased to be the House of representative of states, its members becoming representatives of merely their respective parties. The onus is on the parties to restore the prestige of the House. Party leaderships should be careful in their choice of nominees and refrain from backing people who may not deserve a place in the Upper House.