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Cabinet approves measures disallowing splits, limiting cabinet-size
New Delhi, Apr 23: The Union Cabinet today approved two significant measures aimed at discouraging political defections by disallowing splits and placing a ceiling on ministry-size.
New Delhi, Apr 23: The Union Cabinet today approved two significant measures aimed at discouraging political defections by disallowing splits and placing a ceiling on ministry-size.
Both measures will be introduced during the current session of Parliament.
At a cabinet meeting here, presided over by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it was decided to recommend amendment to the Constitution whereby splits in political parties, hitherto recognised if at least one-third of the grouping broke away, would no longer be recognised.
Briefing mediapersons about the cabinet decisions later tonight, parliamentary affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said that it had been recommended that para three of the tenth schedule of the Constitution would be deleted through an amending measure.
''The relevant para hitherto allowed large-scale defections in the garb of splits while individual defections were illegal, we faced a peculiar situation where bulk defections were being allowed.''
Another recommendation seeks to limit the size of the Council of Ministers, which, of late, often reached gargantuan proportions.
The new proposal places a ceiling of 10 per cent of the total size of the legislature as the maximum number of ministers at the Centre or in the states.
''In case of states having a small legislature – numbering 30 or 40 -- the maximum number of ministers may not exceed seven,'' Swaraj said.
Bureau Report
At a cabinet meeting here, presided over by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it was decided to recommend amendment to the Constitution whereby splits in political parties, hitherto recognised if at least one-third of the grouping broke away, would no longer be recognised.
Briefing mediapersons about the cabinet decisions later tonight, parliamentary affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said that it had been recommended that para three of the tenth schedule of the Constitution would be deleted through an amending measure.
''The relevant para hitherto allowed large-scale defections in the garb of splits while individual defections were illegal, we faced a peculiar situation where bulk defections were being allowed.''
Another recommendation seeks to limit the size of the Council of Ministers, which, of late, often reached gargantuan proportions.
The new proposal places a ceiling of 10 per cent of the total size of the legislature as the maximum number of ministers at the Centre or in the states.
''In case of states having a small legislature – numbering 30 or 40 -- the maximum number of ministers may not exceed seven,'' Swaraj said.
Bureau Report