What Happened
- The Opposition moved a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 10 February 2026
- The motion was prompted by allegations that the Speaker did not allow the Leader of Opposition to raise certain issues in the House, and by the Speaker's own controversial remarks
- The motion will be examined and processed as per parliamentary rules and procedures
- Under Article 94(c) of the Constitution, the Speaker can be removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the House (effective majority)
- No Lok Sabha Speaker has ever been successfully removed through this process in India's parliamentary history
Static Topic Bridges
Article 94 — Vacation, Resignation, and Removal of Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Article 94 of the Constitution of India provides three scenarios under which the Speaker or Deputy Speaker vacates office: (a) ceasing to be a member of the House of the People; (b) resigning by writing to the Deputy Speaker (or vice versa); and (c) removal by a resolution of the House passed by a majority of all the then members. This "effective majority" requirement makes removal significantly harder than an ordinary resolution requiring a simple majority.
- Article 94(c): Removal requires a resolution passed by a majority of "all the then members" — this is an effective majority (total membership minus vacancies), not a simple majority of those present and voting
- 14-day notice: No resolution for removal can be moved unless at least 14 days' notice has been given of the intention to move the resolution
- Support requirement: The resolution must have the backing of at least 50 members of the Lok Sabha
- Current Lok Sabha strength: 543 elected members — effective majority would require 272 votes (assuming no vacancies)
- Comparable provision: Article 67(b) provides for removal of the Vice-President (Chairman of Rajya Sabha) by a resolution of the Council of States passed by a majority of all the then members — but requires 14 days' notice and must be passed by both Houses
Connection to this news: The Opposition has invoked Article 94(c) against Speaker Om Birla, but given the ruling coalition's majority in the 18th Lok Sabha, achieving the effective majority threshold would be extremely difficult without defections from the treasury benches.
Role and Powers of the Lok Sabha Speaker
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the lower house of Parliament, elected from among its members under Article 93. The Speaker is expected to be impartial and acts as the guardian of the rights and privileges of the House and its members. The Speaker wields significant constitutional and procedural powers.
- Election: Article 93 — elected by the House from among its members as soon as may be after its first sitting
- Casting vote: Article 100(1) — the Speaker does not vote in the first instance but has a casting vote in case of a tie
- Money Bill certification: Article 110 — the Speaker's decision on whether a Bill is a Money Bill is final and cannot be questioned
- Anti-defection: Tenth Schedule (52nd Amendment, 1985) — the Speaker decides disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law; Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992) upheld this power but subject to judicial review
- Joint sitting: Article 108 — the Speaker presides over a joint sitting of both Houses
- No removal during dissolution: The Speaker continues in office until the first meeting of the new Lok Sabha after a dissolution
Connection to this news: The no-confidence motion raises questions about the Speaker's role as an impartial arbiter, particularly regarding the discretion to allow or disallow questions and debates in the House.
Historical Precedents — No-Confidence Motions Against Speakers
No Speaker of the Lok Sabha has ever been successfully removed through a no-confidence motion in India's parliamentary history. The process has been initiated several times but has never succeeded, primarily because the Speaker is typically elected from the ruling party and commands its support.
- First removal motion: Filed against G.V. Mavalankar in 1954 by Socialist leader Vigneshwar Misir and 21 MPs, alleging bias towards the ruling Congress — it failed
- The Speaker's election is essentially a decision of the ruling majority, making removal practically impossible without a shift in the balance of power
- Contrast with UK: The Speaker of the House of Commons is expected to resign party membership upon election — a convention India has not adopted despite recommendations
- Inter-Parliamentary Union guidelines recommend that Speakers maintain strict neutrality
Connection to this news: The motion against Speaker Birla follows the historical pattern of opposition-driven removal attempts that serve as political statements rather than realistic threats of removal, given the arithmetic of the current Lok Sabha.
Types of Majorities Under the Indian Constitution
The Constitution prescribes different types of majorities for different purposes. Understanding these distinctions is critical for UPSC, as questions frequently test the differences between simple, absolute, effective, and special majorities.
- Simple majority: Majority of members present and voting — used for ordinary bills, no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers (Article 75)
- Absolute majority: More than 50% of total membership of the House — used rarely
- Effective majority: Majority of all the then members (total strength minus vacancies) — used for removal of Speaker (Article 94), removal of Vice-President (Article 67)
- Special majority: Two-thirds of members present and voting AND majority of total membership — used for constitutional amendments (Article 368), removal of judges (Article 124(4))
Connection to this news: The removal of the Speaker requires an effective majority under Article 94(c), which is a higher threshold than the simple majority needed for a no-confidence motion against the government under Article 75.
Key Facts & Data
- Article 94(c): Removal of Speaker requires effective majority of all the then members
- 14-day notice period required before the removal resolution can be moved
- Minimum 50 members needed to support the resolution
- 18th Lok Sabha strength: 543 elected members; effective majority = 272 (assuming no vacancies)
- No Speaker has ever been successfully removed in India's parliamentary history
- First removal motion: Against G.V. Mavalankar in 1954 — failed
- Speaker Om Birla: Elected as Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha (2019); re-elected in 18th Lok Sabha (2024)