Journalism of Courage
Anti-defection law
ANTI-DEFECTION LAW NEWS
Acquisitions, mergers, hostile takeovers — this has now become BJP-speak
July 09, 2026 11:53 pm
To prevent this kind of wholesale political commerce, the Tenth Schedule, also known as the anti-defection law, was introduced in 1985. Despite its loopholes, it represented a constitutional acknowledgment that the buying and selling of legislators goes against the ethos of a multi-party democracy. That acknowledgement has now been rendered ceremonial
From TMC to Shiv Sena, the people’s mandate is being bartered for power
June 24, 2026 1:55 pm
We need to foster a political environment where defection carries an irreversible social and electoral stigma; where leaving a party over anything less than a profound, demonstrable disagreement on policy is recognised for what it is: An act of public betrayal
From West Bengal to Maharashtra, India's politics of fragmentation is taking a toll on democracy
June 19, 2026 1:52 pm
Entrusting our faith to a magnetic personality rather than to an organisation can make internal disputes become matters of survival, as loyalty centres on the individual rather than the institution
When is a party merger valid? With TMC split, here is what the defection law says — and omits
June 18, 2026 3:33 pm
The TMC dispute turns on a question the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution has never fully settled — does a two-thirds split within Parliament amount to a merger, or must the larger political party itself merge first?
How TMC became the latest party to fall to BJP’s ‘divide, defect, dominate’ playbook
June 09, 2026 3:32 pm
Given the trend in defections, what is more concerning is the larger constitutional question of democratic accountability between the legislator and the elector, and the role of institutions in safeguarding the same
How the Tenth Schedule regulates political defections
June 04, 2026 12:11 pm
The 52nd Constitutional Amendment introduced the anti-defection law through the Tenth Schedule in 1985 to curb political defections. More than four decades later, why does the law continue to generate intense political and constitutional debates? See infographics for key insights.
Raghav Chadha and six MPs split with AAP underlines urgency of strengthening inner-party democracy
April 25, 2026 4:56 pm
With people coming up with newer forms of subverting the constitutional order and innovative ways of avoiding defection, there is a need to seriously reconsider the way parties are organised
Telangana MLA defection row: 'Turncoat' legislators directed to respond in 3 weeks
April 17, 2026 11:37 am
The Telangana High Court directed the counters to be filed by May 6 “positively” and agreed to hear the matter on the same day.
Anti-defection law and Supreme Court's order for Telangana speaker: When the custodian refuses to act
August 21, 2025 4:10 pm
Unless Parliament amends law to fix a clear timeline or shifts adjudication to an independent authority, the anti-defection regime will continue to be hollowed out by seemingly partisan speakers
Is Dhankhar right about the whip system?
February 01, 2025 8:44 pm
The anti-defection law’s provisions have cast a suffocating net on a lawmaker’s freedom of speech and expression. Its provisions specify that if lawmakers defy their party’s whip on any issue (not just that which decides the government’s fate), the consequences are much harsher than the leadership’s displeasure
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