What Happened
- Opposition parties submitted a notice on February 10, 2026, seeking a resolution to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, ending a week-long impasse that had paralysed the lower house during the Budget Session.
- The notice was signed by approximately 120 MPs from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, and DMK; the Trinamool Congress did not sign.
- Allegations: Opposition accused Birla of not allowing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders adequate speaking time during the Motion of Thanks debate, suspending eight MPs, and making "unwarranted allegations" against women MPs.
- In response, Speaker Birla decided to stay away from Lok Sabha proceedings while the notice is under consideration — a constitutional obligation under Article 96.
- As of March 2026, the Lok Sabha was listed to take up the notice for the removal resolution on Monday — but no Speaker has ever been successfully removed in the history of India's Parliament.
Static Topic Bridges
Article 94: Constitutional Provisions for Speaker's Removal
Article 94 of the Constitution governs when the Speaker's office falls vacant. Clause (c) provides the only mechanism by which the House can actively remove the Speaker.
- Article 94(a): Speaker vacates office if they cease to be a member of the Lok Sabha
- Article 94(b): Speaker may resign by writing to the Deputy Speaker
- Article 94(c): Speaker may be removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha — this is an "Effective Majority" (majority of total membership excluding vacancies), not a simple majority of those present and voting
- Required majority: If Lok Sabha has 543 seats and 10 are vacant, effective membership is 533; majority required is 267 — regardless of how many members actually vote
- Notice requirement: At least 14 days' written notice must be given to the Secretary-General before the resolution can be moved (Rules of Procedure, Rules 200–203)
- Support threshold: At least 50 members must rise in support for the motion to enter the House's business list
- Motion standards: Charges must be specific, clearly expressed, and precise; no arguments, inferences, or defamatory language
Connection to this news: The opposition's February 10 notice triggers the 14-day waiting period before the resolution can be formally moved — making a floor vote the constitutionally mandated next step, though mustering an effective majority remains a practical near-impossibility for a numerically weak opposition.
Article 96: Speaker Cannot Preside During Removal Proceedings
Article 96 creates a specific procedural safeguard to ensure the Speaker cannot use their presiding authority to control proceedings directed at their own removal.
- Article 96(1): The Speaker shall not preside over the House while a resolution for their removal is under consideration
- In this period, the Deputy Speaker (or, if also absent, a member chosen by the House) presides
- Article 96(2): The Speaker has the right to speak and take part in proceedings while the resolution is being debated
- Article 96(2): The Speaker may vote in the first instance (as an ordinary member) but cannot exercise a casting vote in case of an equality of votes — the resolution fails in case of a tie
- Contrast with normal presiding: Normally, the Speaker does not vote except to cast a deciding vote in case of a tie
Connection to this news: Speaker Birla's decision to stay away from proceedings is in direct compliance with Article 96 — he is constitutionally obligated to step aside from the chair once a valid removal notice is received, even before the resolution is formally moved.
The Speaker's Role, Conventions, and Institutional Independence
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the constitutional head of the lower house — elected by members from among themselves, expected to be non-partisan once in office. The role combines legislative management, disciplinary authority, and constitutional interpretation within Parliament.
- Election: Speaker elected by Lok Sabha members by simple majority (Article 93); convention is that ruling party nominates, opposition nominates Deputy Speaker
- Term: Holds office during the life of the Lok Sabha (5 years); continues until successor is elected
- Powers: Certifies Money Bills (Article 110), decides questions of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection), controls access to the House, can expunge unparliamentary remarks, and rules on points of order
- Historical removal attempts: Three occasions — 1954 (against G.V. Mavalankar, first Speaker), 1966 (against Hukam Singh), 1987 (against Balram Jakhar) — all failed; no Speaker has ever been removed
- Convention: In the UK (Westminster model), the Speaker is expected to resign the party whip upon election and remain strictly non-partisan throughout; India has not uniformly followed this convention
- Tenth Schedule adjudication: The Speaker's power to decide anti-defection cases has been challenged judicially; Supreme Court in Kihoto Hollohan (1992) held the Speaker's decisions are not immune from judicial review
Connection to this news: The opposition's removal notice, whatever its political motivation, engages a constitutional mechanism designed to ensure Speaker accountability — even as the historical record confirms no opposition has ever successfully used it, making it as much a political signal as a genuine procedural effort.
Key Facts & Data
- Article 94(c): Removal by effective majority (majority of all then members of Lok Sabha)
- Article 96: Speaker cannot preside while removal resolution is under consideration
- Minimum notice required: 14 days (written to Secretary-General, Rules 200-203)
- Support threshold to list motion: 50 members must rise in support
- Number of MPs signing notice (Feb 10, 2026): ~120 (Congress, SP, DMK; TMC excluded)
- Historical removal attempts: 3 (1954, 1966, 1987) — all failed; no Speaker ever removed
- Speaker's election: By simple majority of Lok Sabha members (Article 93)
- Effective majority calculation: Majority of total membership minus vacancies (not just votes cast)
- Lok Sabha total seats: 543
- Anti-defection (Tenth Schedule): Speaker adjudicates, subject to judicial review (Kihoto Hollohan, 1992)