It refers to Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel taking over charge of his portfolio but only forcing BJP high-command accepting his demand for Finance portfolio in the ministry. Undoubtedly, allotment of portfolios must be purgative of the Chief Minister, but Chief Minister should not be imposed from the above. At times it is observed that imposed Chief Minister is practically in minority if numbers of dissident MLAs of his party are counted with MLAs of opposition parties.
System can be further ensured even in cases where single-party government may not be feasible by electing Chief Minister simultaneously with Speaker and Deputy Speaker on secret and compulsory votes of all members of the Lower House through EVMs with VVPAT on nominations signed by at least 34 per cent members. Members, not participating in election, may lose their voting rights in the House even though retaining membership. Such persons may only be removed by a no-confidence motion passed on same lines but with compulsion to name alternate incumbent in the same motion. System will end blackmailing for ministerial making leader select ministers according to his or her own choice.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
