A legislator has to obey part whip – Uddhav Thackeraytells SC

Subject : Polity

Section :Parliament and State legislature

Concept :

A legislator has to obey the party whip and cannot diverge on his own, saying his constituency is disillusioned by the ruling party leadership, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray argued in the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

About Whip

A whip is a directive from the party that binds party members of a House to obey the line of the party.
Though the office of whip is not officially recognised in the standing orders, there has been a long tradition to give them a place in the Parliamentary form of government.
The whip plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient conduct of business on the floor of the House.
The whip is an MP/MLA drawn from the party that is in power and also from the party that sits on the opposition bench. They are vital in maintaining the links between the internal organisation of party inside the Parliament.
It is also the duty of the chief whip to maintain discipline of the party on the floor of the House. Besides, he is responsible for keeping MPs, especially Ministers, informed of opinion in the party on the moods of individual members.
If an MP/MLA violates his party’s whip, he faces expulsion from the House under the Anti-Defection Act.
Constitutional status: The office of ‘whip’, is mentioned neither in the Constitution of India nor in the Rules of the House nor in a Parliamentary Statute. It is based on the conventions of the parliamentary government.
Non-applicability of Whip: There are some cases such as Presidential elections where whips cannot direct a Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) on whom to vote.