What is the significance of the term 'merger' in the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
In the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, the term 'merger' refers to the joining of one political party with another, resulting in the formation of a new party or the members becoming part of the other party. A member of a House is not disqualified on the grounds of defection if their original political party merges with another party, and the member either becomes a member of the new party formed by the merger or chooses to function as a separate group without accepting the merger. A merger is deemed to have taken place if not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislature party concerned have agreed to the merger.