Shri Santhanam interrupting says that Article 82 would not come into force with the commencement of the Constitution. If the Constitution comes into force on the 26th January, I do not understand why this provision should not come into force then. If it is thought that it would not come into force I would submit that in any case it is not desirable that there should have been a provision like this made in the Constitution itself for the interim period. On account of circumstances which I have already described this House came to be a body which had some members who were members of the provincial legislatures also and if it was once thought that the best interests of the country and the provinces would be served by issuing a letter of convention I do not understand why it is necessary at this stage, for the sake of one year (which is what is left before the next elections), to make an abnormal provision of this nature in the Constitution. If it is thought that instead of having such a letter of convention it is desirable once for all to solve this question even for this short period the best course would have been to treat these gentlemen in a manner better than what is being done now and to give them the option, which would not have made much difference. Because I want to make it clear that most of the Member of this House were elected on the Congress ticket and if option is given to them it means not an individual decision of an individual Member but it means an exercise of option by the Congress Party itself. All the same the very same result could have been achieved. Such an option would have literally and virtually meant an option given to the Congress Party and tip to this time they have acted according to the party decision.
