Elected members must resign, face people's mandate again if they switch sides: Kerala High Court

In a potent observation, the Kerala High Court on Friday noted that if elected representatives want to change their political affiliation, they must resign and face the mandate of the people again.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

"If the elected representative wants to change his policy or political affiliation, he has to resign and face the mandate of the people again. That is the moral side of democracy. Otherwise, it will be a unilateral withdrawal from the bond executed with the people by the elected representative. It will be an insult to the will of the people. But the people can show their will to such a representative in the next election either by supporting him or by defeating him. That is the beauty of democracy," it said.

"But an elected representative going against the will of the people should not be confronted physically by attacking that representative. The people can show their power through their ballot papers," it added.