The Hindu

Watch: The defection route | On political crossovers and the Tenth Schedule | The Hindu Editorial

The anti-defection law was meant to curb political defections, but the growing use of the merger provision has raised fresh concerns about its effectiveness. The latest developments involving Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs have reignited the debate over whether engineered splits are being used to bypass constitutional safeguards and alter parliamentary numbers without facing disqualification.