Shimla, April 2 -- The Himachal Pradesh Assembly has passed a bill to deny pension benefits to legislators disqualified under the anti-defection law, with the treasury and opposition benches engaging in sharp exchanges over its intent and legality.

The legislation, piloted by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday, seeks to amend the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Act, 1971, to bar pension benefits for MLAs disqualified under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The bill was passed by voice vote.

Participating in the debate, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur alleged that the amendment had been brought "with a sense of political vendetta" against those who had left the ruling pa...