``Coalition Governments cannot become and must not become synonymous with instability,'' Vajpayee told a seminar on electoral reforms, organised here by the Law Commission.

Heading a shaky coalition Government himself, the Prime Minister appeared particularly sensitive to the plight of such Governments, for he dwelt at length on the divergent pulls and strains from coalition partners.

He also stressed that Governments needed a degree of stability to solve the complex economic and development problems confronting the country. ``At present, there is no year without some election or the other taking place. Efficient Government is the first casualty when winning elections is the first priority of all political parties,'' the Prime Minister said.

Raising the issue of the mounting costs of fighting elections, the Prime MinisterAtal Behari Vajpayee said the frequency of polls and the high spending involved lay at the ``very root of political corruption.''

Touching upon another important issue of electoral reform, the Prime Minister said he strongly favoured summary disqualification of defecting MPs and MLA's.

In the preparatory papers for the seminar, the Law Commission has drawn up a list of proposals to curb electoral malpractices and check political wrongdoing, including steps to stop defections. Agreeing with the broad thrust of the suggestions, Vajpayee said he was in favour of disqualifying defecting legislators and MPs, ``especially in the light of the evident failure of the existing Anti-defection Act to check the malaise.'' But he also cautioned against motivated criminal charges being slapped against political rivals to gain an unfair advantage.

``In my view, the member should be disqualified only if a court of law frames the charges,'' Vajpayee said.

Both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Union Lawminister Thambidurai spoke about the need to curb election spending, and to bring expenses spent by political parties on a candidate within the ceiling set by the Election Commission.

The Commission has for long been demanding that money spent by the associates of a candidate be accounted for as well.

The Election Commission has called for abrogation of Section 77 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which allows political parties and friends and relatives of a candidate to spend huge amounts, a provison which makes a mockery of the expenses ceiling applicable to candidates.

Emphasising the role played by the Election Commission in conducting fair and free elections, the Prime Minister was of the view that the proposal to strengthen the EC was a step in the right direction.

The recent recommendations made by the committee on electoral spending headed by veteran CPI MP, Indrajit Gupta, on partial state funding of election campaigns would go a long way in curbing electoral spending, the Union LawMinister Thambidurai observed.