Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said the Rajya Sabha should be abolished since huge sums of money are being spent to become members making the Upper House like a “market.”
In an apparent reference to liquor baron Vijay Mallya, Mr Chouhan also said people from “Kingfisher” are coming to the Rajya Sabha. Mr Mallya has business interests in the liquor and airline industry among other sectors.
“Those who give funds make a sort of investment and earn out of it later,” the BJP chief minister said sarcastically.
“In my opinion, the time has come to do away with the Rajya Sabha elections in which huge sums of money is spent by the candidates. In place of it, a quota should be reserved in Lok Sabha for Rajya Sabha members,” Mr Chouhan said at a regional consultation on electoral reforms organised in Madhya Pradesh Assembly.
“Huge sums of money was being spent by the candidates to become RS members,” he said, adding that men with money power were in the race to enter the Upper House.
“Sometimes, Kingfisher people are reaching RS,” Mr Chouhan said, alluding to presence of Mallya in the House. “There is open selling of tickets, it is like a market. It is a shame,” he added.
“In place of Rajya Sabha elections, the system of like nominating an Anglo-India as Member of Parliament should be followed,” Mr Chouhan opined.
He opined that Lok Sabha and Assembly elections should be held simultaneously in the country adding that they should be held once in five years.
Mr Chouhan said that the frequent polls were hampering the development activities because of code of conduct in place.
The chief minister also expressed concern over the use of “black money” during elections, adding that urgent steps were needed to check it.
He stressed the need of state funding of elections saying that it will end the use of black money in the elections.
“No political party can run without funds,” he said.