Title : WHIP:Parliament related issues

Date : Dec 23, 2021

Description :

GS II

 

Topic à Parliament related issues

 

• What exactly is a whip:

 

• A whip is a political party official who serves as the party's "enforcer" within the legislative assembly or house of parliament.
• Parties appoint a senior member of their House contingent to issue whips; this person is known as the Chief Whip, and he or she is aided by additional Whips.
• The British legislative system gave India the notion of the whip.
• (Note: In parliamentary jargon, a whip is also a formal order requiring party members to be present for an important vote or to vote in a specific way.)

 

• Whips' function:

 

• They make every effort to guarantee that their fellow legislators attend voting sessions and vote in accordance with their political party's official policy.

 

• What happens if you don't obey a whip:

 

• If a legislator disobeys the party whip, she or he may face disqualification unless the number of parliamentarians opposing the whip is 2/3rds of the party's strength in the house. The Speaker of the House decides on disqualification.

 

• Whip's limitations:

 

• Whips cannot order a Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) to vote a certain way in certain circumstances, such as presidential elections.

 

• The party issues three different types of whips:

 

• A single-line whip is used to notify members of a political party about a vote. It permits a member to vote no if they do not agree with the party position.
• Two-line whip: Issued to ensure that all members of the House are present at the time of voting.
• Members are given a three-line whip instructing them to vote in accordance with the party line.

 

• Source à The Hindu à 21/12/21 à Page Number 9

Tags : single-line whip, Two-line whip