Note: This post first appeared on IBN Live on 9th Dec 2015. Mr. Panda's team's has responded to this (see below) I read with interest a piece by BJD MP, Mr Baijayant Panda on the subject of RS reform. Two reactions that were predictably thrown up. One says we need to reform. The other says we don't. Reform these days is the in word. Easy to wield. As a club. Anyone who opposes the idea is dubbed anti-reform etc. Before we get into it, one needs to question. Why do we need reform in the Rajya Sabha? Reforms need a reason. Merely because it is uncomfortable to the current ruling dispensation is not reason enough. Keep in mind that a minority govt run by the Congress managed to get bills passed both in the LS and the RS. Sure, it wasn’t as productive as it could be. Fact is, till the BJP was on the ascendant, things were proceeding pretty smoothly with several key bills getting passed. It was the rise of an aggressive BJP seeking run roughshod over other views th...