A bill was introduced on Tuesday in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly seeking to halt pension benefits for members disqualified under the anti-defection law. The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill 2024 was presented by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
The bill stipulates, "A person shall not be entitled to a pension under the Act if they have been disqualified at any point under the tenth schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law)".
Earlier this year, six Congress MLAs—Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma, and Devinder Kumar—were disqualified for defying a party whip by abstaining from voting during the passage of the 2024-25 budget and discussions on a cut motion. Although Sudhir Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal regained their seats through by-elections, the other four failed to secure re-election.
These six MLAs had also supported BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections held on February 27, 2024, reported news agency PTI.
The amendment's statement of objects and reasons highlights the need for the bill, citing the absence of provisions in the 1971 Act to discourage defection, prevent constitutional violations, protect the people's mandate, and uphold democratic values.
