WHIP
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Context: The Supreme Court said that the "whip" binds Members of a House, and if any MLAs within a political party that is part of a ruling coalition indicate they do not wish to support the alliance, the MLAs will be disqualified.
Whip
- The office of ‘whip’ is mentioned neither in the Indian Constitution nor in the Rules of the House nor in a Parliamentary Statute.
- It is based on the conventions of the parliamentary government.
- Every political party, whether ruling or Opposition has its whip in the Parliament.
- He is appointed by the political party to serve as an assistant floor leader.
- He is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the attendance of his party members in large numbers and securing their support in favour of or against a particular issue.
- He regulates and monitors their behaviour in the Parliament.
- The members are supposed to follow the directives given by the whip. Otherwise, disciplinary action can be taken.
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Types of Whips
- The One-line whip is issued to inform the members about a vote. It allows a member to abstain in case they decide not to follow the party line.
- The Two-line whip is issued to direct the members to be present in the House at the time of voting. No special instructions are given on the pattern of voting.
- The Three-line whip is issued to members directing them to vote as per the party line. It is the strictest of all the whips.
Functions of Whip
- He maintains order among party representatives in the House.
- He is tasked with making sure that his party's members show up in big numbers and win their support for or opposition to a certain cause.
- He observes the indications of discontent among Parliamentarians and alerts the appropriate party leaders.
- He serves as the party's unifying force and is in charge of preserving the internal party structure in the Parliament.
- He is essential to the effective and efficient running of the business on the House floor.
Violation of whip
- If an MP violates his party’s whip, he faces dismissal from the House under the Anti-Defection Act.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Consider the following Statements; 1. The office of ‘whip’ is mentioned in the Indian Constitution. 2. Every political party has its whip in the Parliament. Which of the following Statement is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: B Explanation: Statement 1 is incorrect: The office of ‘whip’ is mentioned neither in the Indian Constitution nor in the Rules of the House nor in a Parliamentary Statute. It is based on the conventions of the parliamentary government. Statement 2 is correct: Every political party, whether ruling or Opposition has its whip in the Parliament. |
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