On Wednesday, the Himachal Pradesh assembly passed a Bill to deny pension benefits to legislators disqualified under the anti-defection law. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu initiated the amendment to the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Act, 1971, which aims to bar pensions for any MLA disqualified under the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Bill was passed by voice vote amid a heated debate between the ruling party and the opposition. Opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the government of political vendetta against legislators who left the ruling party. He argued that the amendment would not hold up in court and should be withdrawn. Other BJP members echoed these concerns, suggesting that such legislation should only apply prospectively. In defense, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan called the Bill a 'historic step' to curb defections, while Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi criticized the BJP for attempting to justify defections. CM Sukhu emphasized the need to protect democracy and confirmed that the amendment would not place additional financial burdens on the state.