ANTI-DEFECTION LAW AND ITS IMPACT ON DEMOCRACY

"ANTI-DEFECTION "ANTI-DEF ECTION LAW LAW AND ITS IMPACT IMPACT ON DEMOCRACY "

Submitted by B.MAHATHEER MOHAMED

 Reg. No. BC0140035

Under the Guidance of  MS. NIKITA PATTAJOSHI  Assistant Professor Professor

TAMIL NADU NATIONAL LAW SCHOOL (A State University established by Act No. 9 o !"#!$ Tir%chira&&alli Ta'il Nad%  )!" ""9 SEPTEMBER – 2016

Ms. N!# P##$%s& Assistant *roessor in +onstit%tional la, Ta'il Nad% National -a, School Tir%chira&&alli Ta'il Nad%  )!" ""9

CERTIFICATE This is to certiy that the &roect ,or/ entitled 'ANT01DE2E+T0ON -A3 AND 0TS 0M*A+T ON DEMO+RA+4 ( is a bonaide record o the research ,or/ done by

B.MAHATHEER MOHAMED5 %nder 'y s%&ervision and 6%idance. 0t has not been s%b'itted by any other University or the a,ard o any de6ree5 di&lo'a5 associate shi&5 ello,shi& or or any other si'ilar reco6nition.

*lace7 Tir%chira&&alli Date7 S)*#+, % & /+

B.MAHATHEER MOHAMED

 Reg. No. BC0140035 00  B.+o'.5 --B. (Hons.$ Ta'il Nad% National -a, School Tir%chira&&alli Ta'il Nad%  )!" ""9

DECLARATION

I B.MAHATHEER MOHAMED   do hereby declare that the &roect entitled 'ANT01

DE2E+T0ON -A3 AND 0TS 0M*A+T ON DEMO+RA+4 ( s%b'itted to Ta'il Nad%  National -a, School in &artial %lill'ent o re8%ire'ent or a,ard o de6ree in Under 

rad%ate in -a, to Ta'il Nad% National -a, School5 Tir%chira&&alli5 is 'y ori6inal research ,or/. 0t and has not been or'ed basis or a,ard o any de6ree or di&lo'a or ello,shi& or any other title to any other candidate o any %niversity.

+o%nter Si6ned P,%$ /+

Si6nat%re o the +andidate

ACKNOWLED/EMENT At the o%tset5 0 ta/e this o&&ort%nity to than/ 'y *roessor Ms. P,#*+s&# K+3!#,*.5 ro' the botto' o 'y heart ,ho have been o i''ense hel& d%rin6

'o'ents o an:iety and tor&idity ,hile the &roect ,as ta/in6 its cr%cial sha&e. Secondly5 0 convey 'y dee&est re6ards to the ;ice +hancellor A,+* R%4 IAS and the ad'inistrative sta o TNN-S ,ho held the &roect in hi6h estee' by  &rovidin6 reliable inor'ation in the or' o library inrastr%ct%re and database connections in ti'es o need. Thirdly5 the contrib%tion 'ade by 'y &arents and riends by ore6oin6 their   &recio%s ti'e is %nor6ettable and hi6hly solicited. Their val%able advice and ti'ely s%&ervision &aved the ,ay or the s%ccess%l co'&letion o this &roect. 2inally5 0 than/ the Al'i6hty ,ho 6ave 'e the co%ra6e and sta'ina to conront all h%rdles d%rin6 the 'a/in6 o this &roect. 3ords arenvol%ntarily 6ives %& 'e'bershi& o a &arty? (&ara6ra&h !(#$(a$$. Second5 a 'e'ber also inc%rs dis8%aliication ,hen heKshe votes (or abstains ro' votin6$ contrary to the directive iss%ed by the &arty (&ara6ra&h !(#$(b$$. 0n the #99 Ravi Nai/ vs. Union o 0ndia case5 the S%&re'e +o%rt (S+$ said7 >Even in the absence o a or'al resi6nation ro' 'e'bershi&5 an inerence can be dra,n ro' the

cond%ct o a 'e'ber that he has vol%ntarily 6iven %& his 'e'bershi& o the &olitical &arty to ,hich he belon6s.? E;PULSION UNDER ANTI-DEFECTION LAW

Under the anti1deection la,5 even an e:&elled le6islator is re8%ired to ollo, the ,hi& iss%ed  by the &arty on ,hose tic/et he ,as elected to the Ho%se and vote or hisKher ori6inal &arty d%rin6 a loor test. 0n  ;is,anathan vers%s Hono*ara6ra&h !(#$ read ,ith the e:&lanation clearly &oints o%t that an elected 'e'ber shall contin%e to belon6 to that &olitical &arty by ,hich he ,as set %& as a candidate or election as s%ch 'e'ber. This is so not,ithstandin6 that he ,as thro,n o%t or e:&elled ro' that &arty5? the S+ r%led. Ho,ever5 the to& co%rt &rovided relie to Sa'a,adi *arty leaders A'ar Sin6h and Gaya *rada on Nove'ber #5 !"#"5 declarin6 that they co%ld not be dis8%aliied ro' *arlia'ent %nder the anti1deection la, even i they deied the ,hi& o their or'er &arty. The 'atter ,as reerred to a lar6er bench to resolve contradictions on the i'&ortant constit%tional iss%e and still re'ains &endin6 beore the S%&re'e +o%rt.

SPLIT AND MER/ER UNDER ANTI-DEFECTION LAW

Accordin6 to the Tenth Sched%le5 it re8%ires at least t,o1third 'e'bers o a le6islat%re &arty to or' a ne, &olitical 6ro%&5 or ='er6e< ,ith another &olitical &arty ,itho%t 6ettin6 dis8%aliied %nder the anti1deection la,. *ara6ra&h  o the Tenth Sched%le ori6inally reco6nised a =s&lit< i at least one1third 'e'bers o the le6islat%re &arty decided to or' or oin another &olitical &arty.

Ho,ever5 this &rovision ,as done a,ay ,ith by the 9#st a'end'ent to the +onstit%tion in !"". The a'end'ent5 ,hich ca'e into orce in Gan%ary !""5 does not reco6nise a =s&lit< in a le6islat%re &arty. 0nstead5 it reco6nises a ='er6er< that re8%ires at least t,o1third 'e'bers o a le6islat%re &arty to oin another &olitical or'ation or or' a ne, one ,itho%t invitin6 the ,rath o the anti1 deection la,. CHALLEN/ES AND INTERPRETATIONS

The anti1deection la, raises a n%'ber o 8%estions5 several o ,hich have been addressed by the co%rts and the &residin6 oicers.

Does the la, i'&in6e on the ri6ht o ree s&eech o the le6islatorsC This iss%e ,as addressed  by the ive1%d6e +onstit%tion Bench o the S%&re'e +o%rt in #99! (Lihoto Hollohan vs achilh% and others$. The co%rt said that >the anti1deection la, see/s to reco6nise the  &ractical need to &lace the &ro&rieties o &olitical and &ersonal cond%ctabove certain theoretical ass%'&tions.? 0t held that the la, does not violate any ri6hts or reedo's5 or the  basic str%ct%re o &arlia'entary de'ocracy.

3hat constit%tes >vol%ntarily? resi6nin6 ro' a &artyC ;ario%s %d6e'ents and orders indicate that a 'e'ber ,ho &%blicly o&&oses the &arty or states his s%&&ort or another &arty ,o%ld be dee'ed to have resi6ned ro' his &arty. Ne,s re&orts 'ay be %sed as evidence or  this &%r&ose.

+an the decision o the &residin6 oicer be challen6ed in the co%rtsC The la, states that the decision is inal and not s%bect to %dicial revie,. The S%&re'e +o%rt str%c/ do,n &art o  this condition. 0t held that there 'ay not be any %dicial intervention %ntil the &residin6 oicer 6ives his order. Ho,ever5 the inal decision is s%bect to a&&eal in the Hi6h +o%rts and S%&re'e +o%rt. ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION

The Anti1Deection -a, ,as &assed in #9 thro%6h the !nd A'end'ent to the +onstit%tion5 ,hich added the Tenth Sched%le to the 0ndian +onstit%tion. The 'ain intent o 

the la, ,as to co'bat >the evil o &olitical deections?. There are several iss%es in relation to the ,or/in6 o this la, ,hich need to be disc%ssed. Does the la,5 ,hile deterrin6 deections5 also lead to s%&&ression o healthy intra1&arty debate and dissentC Does it restrict re&resentatives ro' voicin6 the concerns o their voters in o&&osition to the oicial &arty  &ositionC Sho%ld the decision on deections be %d6ed by the S&ea/er ,ho is %s%ally a 'e'ber o the r%lin6 &arty or coalition5 or sho%ld it be decided by an e:ternal ne%tral body s%ch as the Election +o''issionC 0n this note5 ,e s%''arise the 'ain eat%res o this la, and inter&retation by the +o%rts and the &residin6 oicers. 3e also see ,hich other  de'ocracies have si'ilar &rovisions. Sho%ld the la, be valid or all votes or only or those that deter'ine the stability o the 6overn'ent (s%ch as the conidence and no1conidence 'otions$C The 'ain intent o the la, ,as to deter >the evil o &olitical deections? by le6islators 'otivated by l%re o oice or  other si'ilar considerations. Ho,ever5 loss o 'e'bershi& is hardly a &enalty in cases ahead o the sched%led ti'e o 6eneral electionsas seen last year. 0t also loses si6niicance i the Ho%se is li/ely to be dissolved. On the other hand5 the votin6 behavio%r 'ay be aected even on iss%es not related to the stability o the 6overn'ent. A 'e'ber 'ay be %nable to e:&ress his act%al belie or the interests o his constit%ents. Thereore5 a case 'ay be 'ade or  restrictin6 the la, to conidence and no1conidence 'otions. The Dinesh os,a'i +o''ittee on electoral reor's (#99"$ reco''ended this chan6e5 ,hile the -a, +o''ission (#"th re&ort5 #999$ s%66ested that &olitical &arties iss%e ,hi&s only ,hen the 6overn'ent ,as in dan6er.

Sho%ld the la, a&&ly only to &re1&oll alliancesC The rationale that a re&resentative is elected on the basis o the &artyvol%ntarily 6ivin6 %&? 'e'bershi& o a &olitical  &arty. S+ G%d6e'ent7 There is a ,ider 'eanin6 o the ,ords >vol%ntarily 6ivin6 %& 'e'bershi&?. The inerence can be dra,n ro' the cond%ct o the 'e'bers also. . ;ish,anathan v. S&ea/er5 Ta'il Nad% -e6islative Asse'bly (#99)$ 0ss%e7 0 a 'e'ber is e:&elled ro' old &arty and he oins another &arty ater bein6 e:&elled5 ,ill it be considered as havin6 vol%ntarily 6iven %& his 'e'bershi&C S+ G%d6e'ent7 Once a 'e'ber is e:&elled5 he is treated as %nattached 'e'ber in the ho%se b%t he contin%es to be a 'e'ber o the old  &arty as &er the Tenth Sched%le. 0 he oins a ne, &arty ater bein6 e:&elled5 he can be said to have vol%ntarily 6iven %& 'e'bershi& o his old &arty. CONCLUSION

 Th%s the evil o &olitical deection across o%r body &olity and their conse8%ent deleterio%s eect on o%r 'ethod o 6overnance can be stron6ly tac/led i necessary constit%tional reor's are carried o%t as s%66ested above and also so1called chan6es in o%r attit%des to,ards this &roble' by eective 'obilisation o s%&&ort both at the national 5re6ional and local level or the ado&tion o s%ch 'echanis's or &ro'otion o the lon6 ter' obective o a stron6 and stable &olitical 6overnance or %rtherance o s%ch ends

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The anti1deection la, has enabled the &olitical &arties to have stron6er 6ri& on their  'e'bers ,hich 'any ti'es has res%lted into &reventin6 the' to vote or the l%re o 'oney o 'inisterial birth. 0t also &rovides stability to the 6overn'ent by &reventin6 shits o &arty alle6iance and ens%res that candidates elected ,ith &arty s%&&ort and on the basis o &arty 'aniestoes re'ain loyal to the &arty. Ho,ever5 it is also res%lted into its %nintended o%tco'e i.e. the c%rtailin6 to a certain e:tent the role o the M* or 'e'ber o state le6islat%re. 0t is c%l'inated into absence o constr%ctive debates on critical &olicy iss%es. The ,hi& has beco'e all the 'ore &o,er%l and has to be ollo,ed in all circ%'stances. 3hat reor's are needed in Anti1deection la,C 2ollo,in6 are the /ey reor's needed in anti1 deection la,. The decision 'a/in6 &o,er o s&ea/er K chair'an needs revie, The &hrase >vol%ntarily 6ivin6 %& 'e'bershi&? is too va6%e and needs co'&rehensive revision. *olitical  &arties sho%ld li'it iss%ance o ,hi&s to instances only ,hen the 6overn'ent is in dan6er  The Election +o''ission had reco''ended that the decisions %nder the Tenth Sched%le sho%ld be 'ade by the *residentK overnor on the bindin6 advice o the Election +o''ission. A constit%tional a'end'ent vestin6 the &o,er to decide 'atters relatin6 to dis8%aliication on the 6ro%nd o deection ,ith the *residentKovernor actin6 on the advice o the Election +o''ission ,o%ld act%ally hel& in &reservin6 the inte6rity o the S&ea/er