The Anti-defection Law
The anti-defection law was a law of section 10 that was imposed in 1985 to prevent the legislators from frequently crossing over from one party to other. Two former ministers of AIADMK, Viswanathan and Alagu Thirunavukarasu joined MDMK, in 1955. Soon after, they were disqualified. In 1988, 33 MLAs were disqualified by speaker P.H. Pandian. The law has come to play multiple times to prevent the cross over.
17 Years Gap
However, between 2000 and 2017, the law was not pressed even once even when there were a few instances where the law might have caused the disqualification of concerned ministers. A former assembly secretary reported that between 2011 and 2016 eight MLAs rebelled against DMDK but they did not press the law as it might have cost them the status of opposition.
In another case, AIDMK did not press for disqualification of 11 MLAs who were supporting AIADMK (Puratchithalavi Amma). Nor did they charge against Mylapur MLA, R. Natraj who voted against the the confidence notion moved by issued Edappadi K. Palaniswami government on 18th February.
2000 was the last time when the law was invoked on MLA Muthuramalinga who left DMK to move to AIADMK after winning on the ticket of DMK from Thirumangalam district in Madurai.
Finally the law has been invoked after 17 years.
