INTRODUCTION

Our Indian Bureaucratic and Legislative system is running through our politicians. Politician
comes from the word “Politics.” The word politics comes from the Greek word “Politika” which
means “of, for, or relating to citizens,” but our Indian Politics according to a layman is a bog
where a person once enters never comes out. Politicians make promises but never fulfill those
promises; they work on filling their pockets and making life of people miserable.
Earlier after the Independence, it was very easy for a legislative elected member to hop around
from one party to another to fulfill their ambitions, but this led to many Governments toppling
around, keeping in mind all this our legislatures made an amendment in the year 1985 which was
our 52nd Amendment Act and passed a law called “Anti-defection law” which added a new
schedule to our Constitution, i.e., X Schedule.1
Political defections have resulted in unpredictable alliances reducing elections to a mere farce.
Politicians today—in whichever party they may be—are bound together not so much by affinity
of ideals or ideology as by a common hope of sharing political power and enjoying other
personal benefits. Since parties are merely vehicles of contesting elections and getting to
positions of power, changing a party is like changing one’s campaign manager.
Defections just point to the inner state of political parties suffering from division, fragmentation,
factionalism, personality cult and bossism. Also, lure of office, narrow majority of the ruling
party/front and lack of commitment towards political ideology have contributed towards
increasing cases of defection.2
This problem of defection started in mid 60s as “Aaya Ram Gaya Ram” and thus study to this
topic is very helpful in enriching our mind by analyzing various trends of the defection taken
place during last six decades.
Defection in the Indian Political System

Chapter 1: Understanding the problem of defection in Indian Politics.

“Democracy and Free and Fair Election are inseparable twins. There is almost an inseparable
umbilical cord joining them. In a democracy the little man - voter, has overwhelming importance
and cannot be hijacked from the course of free and fair elections. His freedom to elect a
candidate of his choice is the foundation of a free and fair election. But after getting elected, if
the elected candidate deviates from the course of fairness and purity and becomes a “Purchasable
Commodity” he not only betrays the electorate, but also pollutes the pure stream of
democracy.”1
Political leaders, after elections, tend to see politics only in terms of short-term interests and,
therefore, unconstrained by party ideology change sides quite often, resulting in a new kind of
political culture. The frequent changing of coalition partners and the formation of new alliances
have thus resulted in destroying the moral fabric of the society. These men and women who get
into positions of power and authority transgress the limits that underlie the ethics of
representation, which is very important in the functioning of representative democracy.2

Causes of Defections:
There are several causes which made defections among political parties, legislators and members
of parliament. There are several motivations which are responsible for defections. Politics has
become part and parcel of day to day life of common man more specifically life patterns of
politicians. There has become a class of politicians. Politicians of all parties join together to form
their own separate class. Politics has become a lucrative business for them. There is profit and
loss in business while there are only profit in politics for certain politicians. They are never put to
loss, because they adopt defection politics. They earn and earn at the cost of their supporters and
general public. They made partners in this profitable Business. There are in numerable causes for
defection. The causes changes in day to day practice however some causes can be laid down as
under.
1- Change in political ideology causes defection (change of party) 2- “Cast factor is
dominant in defection.” 3- Defectors fall prey to pressures of several pressure groups. 4-
Monetary consideration is a dominant-cause for defection. 5- Temptation of power also is
a cause for defection
6- Offer of posts is an important cause for defection. 7- Protection from facing court cases of
enquires against opponents‟ causes defection. 8- When personal become dominant in a party the
other members defect to oppose the leader‟s domination. 9- Corruption also is a big cause for
defection. 10- When political party become weak or allow opportunists These are major causes
of defection.7
Impact of defections on Indian politics:
There are various causes of political defection. Before1967 there was no serious problem of
political defections but after the fourth general elections in 1967 the problem become acute and
thus many state governments survived and thrown out of power because of defections. “During
this period of 3 years as many as 323 independent legislators defected in the state legislatures.”8
The parliament was also not fres defections. “During this period 148 party and four independent
members here also defected”9 defection led to political instability the emergence of unstable
coalitions in the states, the formation of minority governments in the states, delays in decision
making, increase in political corruption and devaluation of moral values etc.10