When 45 Governments Fell Like Houses Of Cards: India's Era Of Political Chaos

The 91st Constitutional Amendment in 2003 fixed the size of the Council of Ministers at 15% of the total strength, reflecting the policy direction discussed in earlier reforms.

The Indian Parliament enacted the Anti-Defection Law in 1985, introducing the 10th Schedule to curb party-switching.

In 1971, Indira Gandhi's Congress (Requisitionists) won 352 of 521 Lok Sabha seats, signaling a demand for a strong Centre and a measure of political stability after the era of defections.

In Madhya Pradesh, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia spearheaded defections; Govind Narain Singh switched sides with 36 Congress legislators to form an SVD government, which survived only until 1969 amid factional politics.

In Uttar Pradesh, Chandra Bhanu Gupta formed a Congress government that survived about 18 days before Chaudhary Charan Singh and allies formed a new coalition; the government collapsed in February 1968, leading to President's Rule.

A committee under YB Chavan examined party defections and recommended limiting the size of the Council of Ministers and discouraging defectors from ministerial posts for at least one year.

BP Mandal formed the Shoshit Dal in Bihar with external support from the Congress; his government lasted only 31 days, illustrating the era's volatility.

In Haryana, Rao Birender Singh split the Congress and formed the Vishal Haryana Party, becoming chief minister. The era saw Gaya Lal defect three times within a fortnight, giving rise to the saying 'Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram'; President's Rule was imposed in Haryana in November 1967.

During 1967–1971, a wave of defections and shifting coalitions led to the formation and collapse of dozens of state governments, described as an era of instability that altered India's political landscape.

The lure of ministerial berths, symbolised by the 'red beacon', influenced defections, with about one in eight defecting legislators rewarded with a ministerial post.

The Congress-led central government used governors to destabilise opposition-led governments, contributing to repeated invocations of President's Rule across states.

In West Bengal, Ajoy Mukherjee's United Front government collapsed when PC Ghosh defected, with political violence accompanying the instability.

In Punjab, the Akali Dal (Sant Fateh Singh faction) formed the Popular United Front; Lachhman Singh Gill defected with 16 legislators and formed a government with external Congress support, which collapsed within nine months, leading to further instability.

Bihar witnessed a rapid turnover of leadership, with as many as nine chief ministers between 1967 and 1971 due to defections and shifting coalitions.

The 1967 Lok Sabha elections, the last to feature simultaneous state elections, saw Congress fail to win a majority in eight states. The DMK won in Madras, while coalition governments formed in other states, many ideologically divergent, setting the stage for unstable coalitions and defections.