Is it time to amend Anti-Defection Laws ?
~Preet. Recently, the Vice-President stated that the time has come to modify the country's anti-defection legislation to close current loopholes. Individual Members of Parliament (MPs)/MLAs are punished under the anti-defection statute for defecting from one party to another. In 1985, Parliament inserted it to the Constitution as the Tenth Schedule. Its goal was to keep governments stable by deterring MPs from switching parties. The Tenth Schedule, often known as the Anti-Defection Act, was included into the Constitution by the 52nd Amendment Act of 1985. It establishes the procedures for disqualifying elected members for defecting to another political party. It was a reaction to the overthrow of various state administrations by party-hopping MLAs following the 1967 federal elections. It enables a group of MPs/MLAs to join (i.e., combine with) another political party without incurring the defection penalty. Furthermore, political parties are not penalised for soliciting or tolerat