The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Thursday (April 2) passed the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment Bill, 2026, to bar MLAs disqualified under the anti-defection law from receiving pension benefits.
The move comes after the disqualification of six legislators by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania in March 2024.
MLAs lose their eligibility for pension
Under the new provisions, first-time MLAs Chaitanya Sharma (Gagret) and Devender Bhutto (Kutlehar) will lose their eligibility for pension. Meanwhile, Ravi Thakur and Rajinder Rana, who lost the assembly bye-election, would not be entitled to pension for the 14th Assembly term.
However, Sudhir Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, who were re-elected, will not be affected by the new law.
The six MLAs, originally from the Congress, were disqualified after cross-voting in favour of Harsh Mahajan, the candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), during the Rajya Sabha elections in February 2024.
They were also found to have defied the party whip by not supporting the Congress government during voting on the budget and cut motions, leading to their disqualification under the anti-defection law.
Bill introduced by CM Sukhu
The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Members' Allowances and Pension (Amendment) Bill, 2026 was introduced on Wednesday by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.
Defending the move, Sukhu said the bill was not aimed at benefiting the Congress but was intended to hold accountable those elected representatives who defied the public mandate. However, members of the BJP criticised the proposal, alleging it was driven by political vendetta.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, Sukhu said the state's 75 lakh residents had witnessed attempts to destabilise the elected government in 2024.
The Chief Minister also clarified that the amendment applies to the current Assembly and will come into effect only after the completion of its present tenure.
Bill aimed at exacting political revenge: BJP
BJP MLA Randhir Sharma alleged that the legislation was aimed at exacting political revenge and claimed it would not stand legal scrutiny. He said the government's intent was to stop pensions of only a handful of MLAs and argued that the move undermines the dignity of the House, reflecting a "narrow-minded approach."
Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur said that while strengthening anti-defection provisions is justified, implementing such a law with retrospective effect is not appropriate. He further alleged that multiple cases had been filed against the disqualified MLAs and their family members, and that their properties had also been subjected to surveys.
Another BJP MLA, Trilok Jamwal, pointed out that historically, former legislators continued to receive pensions and benefits even after losing elections. He argued that once a candidate is elected and assumes office, they become entitled to such benefits from that point onward, regardless of any future legal developments.
Responding to the criticism, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the bill was introduced to curb political defection and accused the BJP of sending a message that it supports such practices. He maintained that there was no malicious intent behind the move.
Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi added that the bill was brought forward only after detailed deliberations.
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