The weakness of central leadership in the case of almost all parties is symptomatic of the erosion of party discipline and party loyalty.
This erosion is highlighted by a disturbing feature of our democracy viz. the phenomenon of defection. The Fourth General Elections in 1967 witnessed an alarming increase in the number of defections in the country.
These defections were responsible for the fall of no less than 16 governments in the period between 1967 and 1968 of the 3,500 and odd members of the Legislative Assemblies, more than 500 changed their political affiliations, which came to one out of each seven. Defections erode political stability in the country and disturb the evolution of viable party system.