Betrayal of mandate, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party in Tamil Nadu has been accused of employing tactics similar to the BJP's 'Operation Lotus', by inducting four AIADMK legislators who resigned their Assembly membership.
• The AIADMK rebels voted for the TVK during a trust vote, citing intra-party concerns for their resignations, which were quickly accepted by the Speaker.
• This move has been criticized as a betrayal of the people's mandate, occurring just 21 days after the election, while disqualification petitions were pending against the legislators.
• The article suggests amending election laws to prevent such defections, possibly by imposing a "cooling period" before candidates can contest by-elections after resigning.

Detailed Insights:

• The TVK's actions are seen as exploiting support from rival parties, demonstrated after the Karur rally stampede and during government formation, reaching out to both the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance.
• T.T.V. Dhinakaran of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam had previously accused the TVK of attempting to poach his party's sole legislator.
• Despite securing support from DMK allies, C. Joseph Vijay met with AIADMK rebel leaders before the floor test, ignoring the party's general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, which fueled divisions within the AIADMK.
• The article argues that 'Operation Lotus' tactics subvert democratic processes, necessitating amendments to election laws to restrain candidates from contesting immediate by-elections after resigning.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Operation Lotus: A term used to describe attempts by a political party to engineer defections from rival parties to gain or maintain power.
• Horse-trading: A colloquial term referring to the use of illicit methods, such as bribery or coercion, to secure political support or influence.
• Defection: The act of a member of a political party abandoning their party to join or support a rival party.