Anti-Defection Law and Party Politics in Odisha: An Analytical Study

The Anti-Defection Law was introduced in the year 1985 to avoid the issues caused by defection in parliamentary democracy using the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The article looks closely at how changes in the law affected political parties in Odisha, especially in preparation for the big shift of the 2024 elections. By winning the election with 78 seats out of 147, the BJP ended the BJD’s long lead throughout the last 24 years. Before the serious political changes, there was a large number of party defectors, but only about 60% of them won their seat. The study uses qualitative analysis of legislative trends, study of specific defection cases and analysis of party changes to look at how the Anti-Defection Law has affected political conduct, party loyalty and firmness of institutions in Odisha. The law has stopped large numbers of parties from switching sides, but it has also caused some people to question its impact on political freedom, parliament independence and the Speaker’s neutrality. By placing the research in the context of Odisha, the report helps explain how constitutional tools work in regional political systems and suggests useful policies for reform.