The Lok Sabha is set to witness an unusual parliamentary situation next week as Speaker Om Birla is expected to be present in the House but will not preside over proceedings when a resolution seeking his removal from office is taken up for discussion. The development comes as Parliament reconvenes for the second phase of the budget session on March 9, during which the lower house is likely to deliberate on the opposition-backed motion alleging that the Speaker acted in a “blatantly partisan” manner while conducting House business.

According to established parliamentary rules and procedures, a Speaker cannot chair the House when a resolution for their removal is under consideration. Constitutional expert P. D. T. Achary explained that while Birla will not preside over the proceedings, he will still be present in the House and will be seated among members on the treasury benches. During the debate, he will also have the constitutional right to defend himself against the allegations raised in the resolution.

The notice seeking Birla’s removal was submitted by at least 118 opposition members and was formally moved by Congress chief whip K. Suresh on behalf of several parties, including the Indian National Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The opposition has accused the Speaker of denying Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition members the opportunity to speak during the motion of thanks to the President’s address, as well as suspending eight MPs from the House. Members of the All India Trinamool Congress, however, did not sign the notice.

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Under Article 96 of the Constitution, the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is barred from presiding over the House while a motion for their removal is being discussed. However, the speaker retains the right to participate in the debate and vote on the resolution. In Birla’s case, Achary noted that he may not be able to use the electronic voting system and may instead cast his vote through a written slip, as only Lok Sabha members can vote on the motion.

The procedure to initiate such a resolution requires at least two members of Parliament to sign the notice, though more members may support it. After submission to the Lok Sabha secretariat, the proposal undergoes scrutiny to ensure that it contains specific charges and does not include defamatory language. If at least 50 members stand in support when the motion is introduced in the House, permission is granted for the resolution to be formally debated and voted upon within ten days.

Historically, motions seeking the removal of a Lok Sabha Speaker are extremely rare, and none have succeeded so far. Past speakers such as G. V. Mavlankar, Hukam Singh, and Balram Jakhar had faced similar no-confidence motions, but all were eventually defeated in the House. Parliamentary experts note that such resolutions rarely pass because the ruling government usually commands a majority, making it difficult for the opposition to secure the required support for the Speaker’s removal.

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