Himachal Assembly Moves to Deny Pension to Defector MLAs

In a significant step to tighten accountability, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill that strips pension benefits from MLAs disqualified under the anti-defection law.

The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Members’ Allowances and Pensions) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu a day earlier, was cleared after heated exchanges between the treasury benches and the opposition.

Once the Governor gives assent, the law will come into effect. It provides that any MLA disqualified under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution for defection will lose entitlement to pension benefits. The provision will apply to members elected to the 14th Assembly and beyond.

This move reflects growing efforts to discourage political defections and ensure that legislators who break party loyalty rules do not continue to enjoy long-term financial privileges at the cost of the public exchequer.