A whip can be classified into three types, based on the number of times it has been underlined
Amid a looming trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly, former chief minister and Congress veteran Siddaramaiah appealed to postpone the motion of confidence as the Supreme Court’s decision did not shed light on his rights to issue a whip.
The top court, in its verdict in the rebel MLAs case, had said they had the right to act according to their conscience. According to former attorney general and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who was representing the MLAs in the apex court, the verdict has rendered the three-line whip inoperative, The Indian Express has reported.
Essentially, the court said the MLAs could not be compelled to attend the Assembly during the no-confidence motion (using a whip), which drew sharp criticism from the Congress.
Let us understand what a whip is, is it binding on the MLAs, and what happens if it not followed.
What is a whip?
In political parlance, a whip is a written order which demands party members to be present in Parliament or a state assembly if an important vote is scheduled, and also asks them to vote in a particular way.
Whips can be issued by any party that finds representation in the House, irrespective of its strength in that chamber.
The term ‘whip’ is derived from the traditional British parliamentary practice of ordering the legislators (ruling or opposition) to follow the party line.
Kinds of whips
A whip can be classified into three types, based on the number of times it has been underlined.
A one-line whip, which is underlined once, is issued by the party to inform its members of an important vote in the pipeline, so that a quorum can be established. A quorum is the minimum number of legislators that need to be present do that a vote can be held.
A one-line whip allows the legislators to abstain from voting if they decide to go against the party line. However, they cannot, under any circumstance, vote against the party.
A two-line whip, which is underlined twice, demands that party members be present in the House at the time of voting. Abstention from voting, in this case, invites more scrutiny from party’s high command as compared to a one-line whip.
A three-line whip, which is underlined thrice, is the gravest of the whips. This places the party members under an obligation to toe the party line and is usually employed when critical bills are tabled in the House or during a motion of no-confidence.
Read Also | Explained: What is a floor test or trust vote?
What happens if a legislator does not follow the whip?
Defying a three-line whip can not only lead to expulsion of the member from the party, but also risk his/her membership in the House.
Under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India, the Speaker of the House can disqualify a member who goes against the party line under the anti-defection law.
The only exception is when more than one-third members decide to vote against the directive.
Who issues a whip?
A person who issues a whip, is also called a ‘whip’. Each party appoints a Chief Whip from its elected members, who issues directives to maintain discipline in the party and enact the party’s line while being mindful of individual opinions and grievances.
Even though this is not a constitutional post, a Chief Whip is responsible for effective communication between the party high command and its members.
A whip’s role assumes more importance when a party has a thin majority in the House. In the Indian Parliament, party whips are generally represented in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which is led by the Speaker and meets at the beginning of every session.
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