Title : WHIP: An unavoidable political tool

Date : Nov 26, 2021

Description :

GS II

 

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 one doesn’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 or orders.

 

• Types of Whip:

 

• 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.
• The Supreme Court's decision in the Kihoto Holohan case on the subject of whipping:
• The judgement stated unequivocally that courts should not intervene in disqualification procedures before the Speaker makes a final decision.
• The ability of the courts to examine disqualification proceedings was severely limited.
• However, in this case, the High Court interfered at the notice stage of the disqualification proceedings.

 

• Source à The Hindu à 26/11/21 à Page 9

Tags : parliamentary democracy, parliamentary proceedings