The second phase of Parliament’s Budget Session got underway today, March 9, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressing the House on the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war.
The Opposition is expected to push for a no-confidence motion against Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, during this session.
The notice for the motion had already been submitted during the first phase of the Budget Session and was signed by 118 Opposition Members of Parliament, reported NDTV.
At that time, MPs from the All India Trinamool Congress had not signed the notice. However, the party has now said it will support the Opposition’s move against the Speaker when the matter comes up in the House, the report added.
According to the rules of the Lok Sabha, a no-confidence motion against the Speaker requires the signatures of at least two MPs, a notice period of 14 days, and the backing of at least 50 members of the House.
According to NDTV, three MPs from the Indian National Congress, Mohammed Javed, Kodikunnil Suresh, and Mallu Ravi, submitted the notice. It was supported by 118 Opposition MPs.
The notice accuses the Speaker of partisan behaviour. It states Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, and other Opposition leaders were not allowed to speak in the House. The notice also reportedly mentions that eight Opposition MPs were suspended for the entire Budget Session. It further alleged that “baseless allegations were made against the women MPs.”
What Happens After The Notice Is Accepted?
According to the report, if the notice is approved, a date and time will be fixed for a debate on the motion in the Lok Sabha. During this debate, the Speaker does not preside over the proceedings.
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Under the rules, the Deputy Speaker normally conducts the proceedings during such a debate. However, since the Lok Sabha currently does not have a Deputy Speaker, the senior-most member from the panel of chairpersons nominated by the Speaker will preside over the session.
One of the possible members who could chair the debate is BJP MP Jagadambika Pal.
What Is The Majority Required?
A simple majority in the Lok Sabha is required to remove the Speaker from office. In the present House, that number stands at 272.
Even with the support of the Trinamool Congress, the Opposition does not have enough numbers to reach that majority.
Current Numbers In The Lok Sabha
In the current Lok Sabha, the ruling alliance has the backing of 293 MPs. This includes 240 MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 16 from the Janata Dal (United), 12 from the Telugu Desam Party, along with MPs from other NDA partners.
On the other hand, the Opposition has 238 MPs in total. Of these, 99 belong to the Congress, while the rest are from parties including the Samajwadi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties.
Because of these numbers, if the motion is put to vote, the Opposition is likely to fall short of the required majority.
Earlier Motions Against Lok Sabha Speakers
This is not the first time that a no-confidence motion has been brought against a Lok Sabha Speaker.
In 1954, the first such motion was moved against Speaker G. V. Mavalankar. At that time, the Opposition was led by J. B. Kripalani and the motion was moved by Vigneshwar Mishra. Kripalani had left the Congress in 1951 and formed the Krishak Mazdoor Praja Party, which he later merged with the Praja Socialist Party. The motion against Mavalankar was defeated with a vote of 489 to 364.
In 1966, Madhu Limaye moved a similar motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Hukum Singh, but it was rejected because there were not enough numbers to support it.
Later in 1987, CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee brought a no-confidence motion against Speaker Balram Jakhar. At that time, M. Thambidurai was the Deputy Speaker, and the motion was also defeated.
In December 2024, Opposition parties had also submitted a no-confidence motion against the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The notice was signed by 60 Opposition members. However, Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh rejected the motion.
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