'MLAs who switch should be banned'

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said MLAs who switch parties should be banned from contesting elections for one term in order to prevent horsetrading in the event of a hung house.

He was apparently referring to the post-poll situation in Karnataka where the BJP has staked claim to form the government despite being eight short of simple majority.

"Simply disqualifying defecting MLAs isn't enough to stop horse trading since most of them come back with a mandate of their newly-discovered party. They should be barred from fighting elections for a period of not less than one term," he tweeted.