Parliamentary Whip

Context:

Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that a whip should be appointed only by the political party and not by the party in the legislature.

About ‘Whip’ in the House:

The term ‘whip’ is derived from the old British practice of “whipping in” lawmakers to follow the party line.
In Parliamentary parlance, a whip is a written order that party members be present for an important vote, or that they vote only in a particular way.
It can also refer to a designated official authorised by a party to issue a whip.
Members of a House are bound by the ‘whip’, and if any section of MLAs within a political party that is part of a ruling coalition says it does not want to go with the alliance, the MLAs will attract disqualification.
In India, all parties can issue whips to their members. Parties appoint a senior member from among their House contingents to issue whips — this member is called a chief whip, and he/ she is assisted by additional whips.

How serious are whips issued by parties?

The importance of a whip can be inferred from the number of times an order is underlined:
- A one-line whip, underlined once, is usually issued to inform party members of a vote, and allows them to abstain in case they decide not to follow the party line.
- A two-line whip directs them to be present during the vote.
- A three-line whip is the strongest, employed on important occasions such as the second reading of a Bill or a no-confidence motion, and places an obligation on members to toe the party line.

What can happen if a whip is defied?

In India, rebelling against a three-line whip can put a lawmaker’s membership of the House at risk.
- The anti-defection law allows the Speaker/ Chairperson to disqualify such a member; the only exception is when more than a third of legislators vote against a directive, effectively splitting the party.

News Source: Indian Express