The Himachal Pradesh government’s move to deny pensions to defecting legislators to protect electoral mandates raises democratic concerns. Built upon the Constitution’s Tenth Schedule which already enforces strict party discipline, the amendment further increases the cost of dissent. In practice, this risks turning legislative voting into a mechanical exercise, in which whips predetermine outcomes. Debate may become symbolic, committees less effective, as members hesitate to question official positions. While curbing opportunistic defections is necessary, excessive penalisation blurs lines between defection and legitimate dissent. This shifts power decisively towards party leadership, reducing legislators to mere vote carriers. The challenge is to distinguish between opportunistic defection and legitimate dissent—something the current framework fails to do.