MPs review their peers: How they picked the best

How do we judge our parliamentarians? Apart from media comment and, of course, the verdict delivered by the ballot box, we thought it might be useful to carry out a peer review and ask MPs to pronounce on their colleagues. We restricted the exercise to Lok Sabha and selected a sample, keeping in mind the relative strength of parties in the 14th House.

It turned out to be a revealing exercise as we found MPs prepared to set aside party perspectives and judge opponents in an unpartisan manner. We asked them to choose five MPs from both the treasury benches and Opposition who set a high benchmark in debates, discussions and decorum. We also asked MPs to name five ministers who they felt scored for being thorough in their understanding of issues and persuasive in their presentation.

While it required some nudging and prodding to get MPs to agree to the survey, once we convinced them of the impartiality and confidentiality of the exercise, they proved to be willing participants. The results were interesting as they broadly matched the perception of TOI correspondents who have reported and followed Parliament proceedings closely.

Despite their much-reported presence, the youth brigade scored average grades, with only a couple making it to the top five though some others came close. Regular presence in the House and bonhomie across the aisles helps, fostering an informal bipartisanship.

MPs who are industrious but don't necessarily have a glam image, have also gained the recognition of their peers. The review shows both youth and experience are recognized as there are seasoned MPs like Pranab Mukherjee, new-comers like Purandeshwari and those who are making a mark like Kharabela Swain.