Horse-trading by elected representatives is an outright insult to democracy

FEBRUARY 2020 TOPIC: Horse-trading by elected representatives is an outright insult to democracy.

Democracy means rule by the people and horse-trading, in simple terms, means political corruption. If there is corruption or malice in the form of horse-trading in the elected representatives themselves then how can the common people expect a true flow of democracy from them? India is the world’s largest democracy, and horse-trading is an insult to the democratic principles of the entire world.
Sargun Saini (16)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Horse-trading is a method used by elected representatives or a political party to gain members from the opposition side in view of gaining a majority and forming the government. According to me, this is an outright insult to the Constitution of India as it clearly states that every representative is elected by the votes of the people and if by horse-trading, the party selects a person who is not the right candidate appropriating the rights bypassing the votes of the people. This is a matter of great concern.
Senjuti Saibal Bhattacharya (19)
A C Patil College of Engineering, Navi Mumbai

Horse-trading refers to buying members from an opposition party with money or other offers in order to increase one party’s majority in the Assembly or the Parliament. When there is a hung assembly after the elections, a party will try to increase their numbers through horse-trading. Then the elections will have only zero value. The concerned party can easily form the government on the basis of majority, and this majority comes from money, and hence illegal.
Arunima (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Horse-trading in politics refers to the act of buying elected representatives from one political party to another to win majority in case of a hung assembly. These political leaders try to win the support of the opposition party members by illegitimate means. They lure the opposition members by promising good positions in the cabinet, or by offering money. As a result, a government is formed which is not according to the will of the people. Horse-trading is an outright insult to democracy and it is equal to killing democracy. The parliament should pass an effective law to stop horse-trading, so that the people feel they are living in a democratic nation.
Samarth Chawla (15)
St Francis De Sales School, Janakpuri, New Delhi

Horse-trading happens when political parties resort to unscrupulous ways to get members from another party to cobble up the majority required for forming a government. Democracy is the biggest loser in this act. Such elected representatives have neither any respect for democracy nor for the voters who elected them. Their only concern, once they get elected is money and power. In the past seven decades, lust for power and money has grown manifolds and that has resulted in democracy becoming a farce and the voter a joke.
Sargun Kaur (13)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Indian politics is run on shrewd bargaining for power, these days. Politicians do anything just to come into power. I think horse-trading is a virus which will one day swallow up the entire legislature. Therefore it must be curbed. The elected representatives must not perfunctorily go with the flow of compromising for the sake of power, but be vigilant enough to understand that their actions will lead to people losing faith in democracy. This can surely be debilitating if not lethal.
Diya Vinod Surjuse (15)
Agragami Convent School, Wardha

Horse-trading takes place when political parties resort to unlawful ways to lure members from another party to cook up the majority required to form a government. Sometimes, the defectors are rewarded with plum ministerial berths, and with huge monetary gain. Horse-trading is a mockery of democracy.
Tamanna (14)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Due to difficulties in evaluating the merits of a horse offered for sale, the sale of horse offers opportunities for dishonesty leading to the use of horse-trading to refer to complex bargaining or other transactions like political vote trade. This amounts to showing total disloyalty to one’s own party and to the people who elected them.
Vartika Baghel (13)
Jeevan Marg Sophia Secondary School, Deoria

Political vote-trading or deal making is technically named as horse-trading. Ours is an era of politicians declining in commitment to ideology or principles. A government thus formed is just the outcome of horse trading. This is a reality in the world’s largest democracy, today. None of the leading parties is an exception! Political morality and values are defeated by unscrupulous horse-trading by politicians. More worrying is the inaction of law-makers, and the election commission which is entrusted with the task of upholding the constitutional values that form the foundation of democracy. Its silence on such issues is a blatant violation of the model code of conduct, guiding the elections in the country.
Nishtha Uppal (12)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Democracy is the political system meant to give power into the hands of citizens that their elected representative could work for the welfare of every citizen of the nation. However, if politicians themselves are traded then I wonder if they could do anything good for their people. Horse-trading is a speck on the “kurta” of the politicians and is a betrayal of the faith of the people who voted for them, and violence against the democratic system. In the contemporary politics we see how horse-trading has destroyed the ethics of politics. It has resulted in more corruption in politics and has made politics a medium to make money illegally on the sweat and blood of the tax payers. Enforcing certain strict laws to check horse trading, the political system can be made more honest and efficient.
Shivam Uniyal (19)
HNBGU, Srinagar Garhwal

If a particular party is lacking majority after the election, it resorts to horse trading to gain majority and ultimately to form a government. These parties are power greedy that they try to form government by hook or by crook. This increases corruption in the country and lessen the trust of people in the government and in the Constitution. Even the Supreme Court is unable to find a solution to this problem.
Deepal (15)
St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar