West Bengal Pradesh Congress makes elected MLAs sign 'loyalty bond'

In a first, the West Bengal Pradesh Congress has made its elected MLAs sign a 'loyalty bond'. 

As many as 44 MLAs who were elected in the recently-held assembly polls, had to sign a two-page, Rs 100 non-judicial stamp paper that laid down three guidelines that have to be abided by to stay loyal to the party. 

One of the guidelines mentioned in the stamp paper reads: “I am a Member of the Legislative Assembly will not get involved in any party activity. Even if I do not agree with any party policy and/or party decision I will not make any negative action to the detriment of the party. In such a scenario, I shall resign from my post of MLA before making such comment and/or taking such action.” 

The guidelines clearly state that the MLA will have to resign from his post if he makes any anti-party or negative comment even if he does not agree with the party policy. The MLA will have to abide by the guidelines framed by the chief whip in the Bengal assembly. 

This decision by the Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury looks like a move to prevent a re-run of the 2011 action by its MLAs. As many as 42 MLAs were elected in the assembly polls then, of which, 11 had later joined the Trinamool Congress. 

This time, the party, which has secured a position of the ‘opposition’ in the assembly by bagging 44 seats in the polls, does not want to take any chance and has taken steps to its MLAs from joining the ruling party – Trinamool Congress.