No pension for defected MLAs: Himachal Pradesh Govt passes Bill under anti-defection law

Digital Desk: In a significant move to address political defection, the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government has passed a bill to stop pensions for legislators disqualified under the anti-defection law, as reported by Times Now. The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill 2024, introduced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, was passed on Wednesday despite strong opposition from BJP legislators.

The bill specifically states that any member disqualified under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which pertains to the anti-defection law, will no longer be entitled to pension benefits. 

This legislative move follows the disqualification of six Congress MLAs—Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma, and Devinder Kumar—earlier this year. These MLAs were disqualified in February after they defied the party whip by abstaining from voting during the 2024-25 budget session and discussions on a cut motion. 

This amendment marks a strict stance against defection within the state’s political framework.