Elections in India could be more fruitful and democratic if the demand of a local socio-legal outfit is taken into consideration.

Socio-legal outfit Jharkhand Legal Advisory and Development Organisation (JLADO) in a letter to Chief Election Commission, Delhi, demanded that the trend of a politician shifting from one party to another should be prohibited once the model code of conduct sets in.

The JLADO has urged the chief election commissioner to implement the same rule which states that a government official cannot be transferred after the model code of conduct sets in.

On the rationale behind preventing political activists from shifting from one party to another just a few days prior to the elections over denial of poll ticket not only makes supporters of the leader disappointed, but also gives rise to a trend of monetary influencing the desired party to get a ticket.

“It is seen that after being denied party tickets, many devoted politicians tend to switch over to another party. Such things happen after a considerable time of declaration of model code of conduct during which government officials are not transferred. When a popular leader changes his/her party for not getting ticket from the party, his or her followers do find themselves in a peculiar condition as the supporters not only follow their leader as an idol, but also follow the ideology of the leader he/she was earlier associated with,” Om Prakash, the president of JLADO, told The Telegraph.

He said in case a leader is denied a ticket, he or she may contest the elections as an Independent under the provisions of the Constitution.

He cited the example of Saryu Roy, who contested elections from Jamshedpur East constituency as an Independent candidate after being denied a ticket from Jamshedpur West, where he was a sitting MLA.

Om Prakash said it has been seen during the ongoing Assembly elections in the state that several political leaders shifted to other parties after denied a ticket.

“Like Pradeep Balmuchu, the former Congress state president, joined Ajsu Party a few days before the Assembly polls. Similarly, Chunnu Ram, a veteran BJP leader and sitting MLA from Chhatarpur in Palamau contested on Ajsu Party from the same place,” the JLADO president said.

“This is a trend which should be stopped to make the election process, which is an important aspect of democracy, stronger,” he said.