Leadership in Parliament of India: House Leaders, Opposition and Whips Explained

The leaders inside the Parliament of India, including the Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition, and Whips, play pivotal roles in ensuring the effective functioning of the parliamentary system. Their responsibilities and the parliamentary structure are designed to uphold democratic principles, maintain discipline, and facilitate smooth legislative processes.

Key Leaders and Structures within the Indian Parliament

Leader of the House

• Leader of the House in Lok Sabha: The Prime Minister, the Leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha, functions as the Leader of the House of which he is a member. 
• Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha: In another house, the Prime Minister nominates a minister who is a member of the House as the Leader of the House. 
• Mention in Rules: The office of the Leader of the House is mentioned in the Rules of the House and is an important Parliamentary functionary. 
• Role and Responsibilities:
  • Programme of Official Business: He draws up the programme of the official business to be transacted during a Session of the Parliament, namely bills, motions, and discussions on specific subjects. 
  • Setting Priorities: He also fixes inter-se-priorities for various items of business to ensure their smooth passage.
  • Consultation with Presiding Officer: Under the Rules of the House, the Leader of the House is consulted by the Presiding Officer with regard to the arrangement of Government Business in the House and allotment of days and allocation of time for discussion of various business. 
  • Proposals for Summoning and Prorogation: He also makes proposals for the dates of the summoning and prorogation of the House.

Leader of the Opposition 

• Leader of the Opposition: Definition: He  is the leader of the largest party that is not in government and has at least one-tenth of the total seats in the respective House of Parliament.
•  Role and Responsibilities: The ‘Leader of the Opposition’ is responsible for providing constructive criticism of the government’s policies and representing an alternative government.
• Historical Recognition: The ‘Leader of the Opposition’ was officially recognized for the first time in India in 1969.
• Statutory Status: Since 1977, the ‘Leader of the Opposition’ in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha has had statutory status. 
  • Subsequently ‘The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977’ was enacted that provided a statutory status to the leaders of opposition.
• Equivalent Roles in Other Countries: The equivalent role in the USA is known as the ‘minority leader’. In the UK, the concept of a ‘Shadow Cabinet’ exists, where the opposition mirrors the official cabinet, ready to take over if the government changes.
• Alternative Prime Minister: Ivor Jennings described the ‘Leader of the Opposition’ as the ‘alternative Prime Minister’ because they are seen as the prime candidate to become Prime Minister should the opposition win power, reflecting their status and ministerial equivalence in the government structure.

Whips

• Origin of the Term ‘Whip’: The term ‘whip’ derived from the British Parliamentary convention under which they are directed to follow the party line.
• Internal Party Organization: In the Parliamentary form of Government, a party has its own internal organization inside Parliament and is served by a number of officials known as the Whips, chosen from members of the party itself. 
• Office of the Whip: The office of the whip is based on the conventions of the Parliamentary government. 
• A whip is a direction from a political party that binds the members of that party in a house to follow the instructions of the party. There exist three types of whips as per convention:
  • One-line whip: This is issued to inform members about a vote without specifying how they should vote.
  • Two-line whip: Members are directed to be present in the House during voting, but no specific instructions on the voting pattern are given.
  • Three-line whip: Members receive instructions to vote in alignment with the party line.
  • In both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, each party appoints a ‘Chief Whip‘ who provides these instructions during a vote. 
• Function of the Whip: The Chief Whip’s responsibilities include maintaining discipline among party members, ensuring attendance and voting according to the whip issued, informing party members about the party’s stance on various issues, and supplying the list of speakers on Bills and other matters to the Speaker or Chairman.
• Consequences of Non-Compliance: Failure to comply with the whip’s instruction on voting may lead to disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.
• Facilities for Chief Whips: Additionally, the Parliament passed ‘The Leaders and Chief Whips of Recognized Parties and Groups in Parliament (Facilities) Act, 1998,’ granting specific telephone and secretarial facilities to Chief Whips of recognized parties and groups in each House of Parliament.

Secretariat of the Parliament (Article 98 of Indian Constitution)

Separate Secretariats: The Constitution recognizes a separate Secretariat for each House of the Parliament and provides that Parliament may by law regulate the recruitment and the conditions of service of persons appointed to the secretarial staff of either House of the Parliament. 

• Independence from Executive Government: To ensure the independence of the Secretariats from the Executive Government, matters governing and regulating the recruitment and conditions of service of the officers and staff of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats are governed by their Recruitment and Conditions of Service Rules. 
• Control and Guidance: The Executive has, therefore, no direct control over the conditions of service of the employees of the Secretariats which function under the overall guidance and control of the Speaker of Lok Sabha and the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. 
• Role of the Secretary-General: Each Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General who is a permanent officer. 

The Secretary-General

• Independent Secretariat: Each House of the Parliament has an independent Secretariat which is headed by the Secretary-General who is appointed by the Presiding Officer of the House concerned and works under his/her overall control and supervision. 
• Advisory Role to Presiding Officer: The Secretary-General is the advisor to the Presiding Officer in all matters pertaining to the exercise of all powers and functions vested with him, and to the House, through the Presiding Officer. 
• Expert Assistance: The Secretary-General extends his expert assistance to the Presiding Officers on matters relating to the interpretation of rules or precedents or conventions of Parliamentary practices and procedures. 
• Advisor to Members: The Secretary-General also serves as an advisor to the members of the respective Houses on all matters of practice and procedure in the House. 
• Role in Parliamentary Committees: In his capacity as the Secretary-General, he assumes the office of the Secretary of all the Parliamentary Committees functioning under the respective Houses.
• Election Responsibilities: The Secretaries-General are also conventionally appointed the Returning Officer for conducting elections to the Office of the President and the Vice-President of India by rotation. 
• Rank and Status: They hold a rank equivalent to the highest civil servant of the Union Government, i.e. the Cabinet Secretary. 

Conclusion

The structure of parliamentary leadership, including the distinct roles of the Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition, and Whips, is essential for maintaining order and discipline within the Parliament. 

• Ensuring a balanced approach between party unity and individual freedom is crucial for the effective representation of constituents and the integrity of parliamentary democracy.

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