SC to hear Goa Congress leader’s petition against defection of MLAs to BJP
Supreme Court to examine whether coordinated switching of Goa Congress MLAs to the Bharatiya Janata Party can be treated as a merger under the anti-defection law
- The Goa Assembly has 40 members, so a switch by eight MLAs can materially alter political strength in the House.
- The anti-defection framework is designed to curb political defections and protect legislative stability.
What happened
The Supreme Court agreed to hear Congress leader Girish Chodankar’s petition challenging the Goa Assembly Speaker’s rejection of the Congress request to disqualify eight MLAs who switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2022. The dispute is important because party switching can change the numerical strength of governments and raise questions under the anti-defection law.
Background and earlier position
UPSC can test the constitutional design of the Tenth Schedule, the merger exception, the Speaker’s discretion in disqualification petitions, and the scope of judicial review when legislative defections alter the balance of power in a State Assembly.
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