‘Defection’ in politics means moving of a person from one party to another party for some personal benefit. It means changing party allegiance from the party on which a person got elected to a different party. It happens when a legislature, after having been elected from a particular party leaves it and joins in other party.
Measures adopted to prevent this practice:
(i) The Constitution was amended to prevent elected MLAs and MPs from changing parties. This was done because many elected representatives were indulging in defection, in order to become ministers or for cash rewards.
(ii) Now, the law says that if any MLA or MP changes parties, he or she will lose seat in the legislature.
(iii) The new law has brought defection down and has made dissent even more difficult. Now MLAs and MPs have to accept whatever party leaders say.
