BJP code of ethics not to cover MPs, MLAs

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, APRIL 6. A week after the Bharatiya Janata Party president, Mr. Jana Krishnamurthi, had announced that a code of ethics would soon be formulated for all party ``MPs, MLAs, and elected representatives of the people at all levels'' the party has changed its mind.

A code of conduct is to be drawn up, but party MPs and MLAs are to be kept out of its purview, which means the code would apply only to BJP municipal corporators and other local body elected representatives.

The change in the stance has apparently come after the Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee, had a meeting with the former party president, Mr. Kushabhau Thakre, two days ago. It appears that the Prime Minister advised that party MPs and MLAs be left out of the purview of the proposed code of ethics.

Several factors have made the BJP back-track. Reports from Lucknow suggested that the party MLAs had protested against the proposed code. Even earlier attempts by the former party general secretary, Mr. K.N. Govindacharya, to impose a ``voluntary code'' on U.P. MLAs had met with a stiff resistance.

A second factor is the territorial imperative. Leaders of parliamentary parties and State legislatures normally do not like anyone else poaching on their territory. In the BJP, Mr. Vajpayee himself is the leader of the parliamentary party, and therefore ``disciplining'' any MP is his prerogative.

The ``official'' explanation given today by the party spokesperson, Mr. Vijay Kumar Malhotra, was that a code of conduct already existed for MPs (there is a parliamentary ethics committee) and MLAs in the states. It was therefore felt there was no need for the party to formulate another code for them. Mr. Malhotra's explanation came along with the announcement that a five-member committee, with Mr. Kushabhau Thakre as the convener, had been set up by the party president to draw up a code of ethics for party members holding office in elected bodies ``other than in Parliament and the State legislatures.''

The committee has been asked to submit its report within a month and its other members are Mr. Kailashpati Mishra, Mr. Ved Prakash Goyal, Mr. J.P.Mathur and Mr. Basavraj Patil.

Party leaders have not been able to explain why the BJP cannot have its own code of conduct for MPs and MLAs even if there are other codes that govern their conduct. After all, each party can establish norms of behaviour for its own party members.

In the past too it had been announced with much fanfare that all party MPs and Ministers would publicly declare their assets at the time of taking up any public office. But this too has not been implemented.

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