SC to review anti-defection merger clause

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea by senior advocate Kapil Sibal challenging the 'deemed merger' provision of the Tenth Schedule, which allows legislators to switch parties without disqualification. A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notice to the Centre and tagged the matter with a similar Goa defection case. Sibal argued the provision enables widespread defections, undermining democratic mandates.