No-confidence motion

A No-confidence motion is one of the motions passed by the legislature. This only operates in a Parliamentary form of government like the ones at work in India and UK where the executive is a part of the legislature and is directly accountable to them. This happens when the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers have lost the support of the lower house. 

When such a motion is passed, the entire Council has to resign. However, there are some other situations that are equivalent to a no-confidence motion. If the lower house rejects a bill proposed by a member of the Council of Ministers, it is equivalent to a no-confidence motion. Even if changes in the bill are suggested, it is equivalent to a no-confidence motion. 

While Article 75 of the Indian Constitution specifies that the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People, there is no mention of a no-confidence motion in the constitution.

All it means is that the majority of Lok Sabha members must be with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Article 118 of the Constitution permits each house of Parliament to make its own rules for conduct of business. Rule 198 of the Lok Sabha specifies the procedure for a motion of no-confidence.

Any member might give a written notice before 10 am on a day when Parliament is in session; the Speaker will read the motion of no-confidence in the House and ask all those favouring the motion be taken up to rise. 

If there are 50 MPs in favour, the Speaker could allot a date for discussing the motion – but this has to be within 10 days. However, this cannot be done in conditions of din or confusion in the House. So, the no trust move notice given by the YARCP on Thursday was not taken up by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for voting.