THE 52ND AMENDMENT to the Constitution was made in 1985 to incorporate the Tenth Schedule, commonly known as the ‘anti-defection law’. The Statement of Objects and Reasons for the Amendment is rather lengthy, but the substance is in the introductory paragraph, which reads: “The evil of political defections has been a matter of national concern. If it is not combated, it is likely to undermine the very foundations of our democracy and the principles which sustain it.
