What is No-Confidence Motion?

The opposition led by the Congress submitted a notification of no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha under Rule 94C of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business and the notice carried signatures of around 118 MPs (Member of parliament). 

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The Opposition moved for the Speaker's removal alleging partisan conduct of the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, specifically citing the repeated silencing of the Leader of the Opposition and the blocking of discussions regarding General Naravane’s memoir and tensions further escalated over the Speaker's claims of potential "unprecedented acts" by women MPs, which the Opposition views as a breach of institutional propriety and a denial of their democratic right to debate. 

What is a no-confidence motion?

A no-confidence motion is a vote to determine whether a person in a prominent position, particularly in government or management, is suited for the role. It serves as an evaluation of whether the person in power is still deemed capable of holding their current position. In simpler words, a no-confidence motion is a vote that is carried out when members lose confidence in a person in a position of power. 

The first-ever no-confidence motion was moved in August 1963 in the Lok Sabha by Acharya Kriplani, right after the Sino-India War of 1962. Since then, 27 no-confidence motions have been moved. The motion by the Opposition against PM Modi over the fiasco in Manipur will mark the 28th time it has been moved on the floor of the Lok Sabha. 

What is the Constitutional Provisions ?

Article 75 (3) stipulated in our Constitution states that the Council of Ministers is collectively accountable to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. Any Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha who can rally the support of 50 fellow MPs has the authority to introduce a motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers.

A Lok Sabha member has to submit a written notice before 10 a.m. if a no-confidence vote is to be moved. The vote should be held within 10 days of the motion’s acceptance. 

Thereafter, a debate takes place, where members of the Lok Sabha deliberate on the motion, and ultimately, a vote is taken. If a majority of the members vote in favour of the motion, it is deemed to be passed. If passed, the ruling government has to vacate its office. 

It is not the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has faced a no-confidence vote. In 2018, TRS moved the motion against the PM, which was accepted by the speaker but defeated. The Lok Sabha has a majority of 272 seats out of 543 total seats. Currently, the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government holds a significant number of seats, with 331 members supporting it, and the BJP (Bharatiya Janta Party) alone has 303 MPs. 

It is highly unlikely that Prime Minister Modi will lose the no-confidence vote. However, the motion will force the government to make a statement on Manipur, where violent clashes have killed many and displaced as many as 60,000 people. After the video of two women being paraded naked went viral, bringing nationwide and global outrage, the government has to take a strict course of action to prohibit something like this from happening again.