Indian politics reached a new flashpoint this week as a Congress-led coalition of 118 MPs signed a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, alleging partisan conduct. On Tuesday, the resolution to impeach the Speaker was tabled in Lok Sabha by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed. The motion has triggered a national debate. But what exactly does a Lok Sabha Speaker impeachment involve, and how hard is it to actually pull off?
The procedure is rooted in Article 94 of the Constitution. Under the Constitution, the Speaker of Lok Sabha may be removed from office by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the House, provided that at least 14 days’ prior notice of the intention to move the resolution is given. That’s not a simple majority — it’s an effective majority, meaning more than 50% of the House’s full strength, regardless of vacancies or absentees.
First of all, for the notice to be admitted in Parliament, it must be signed by at least 50 Members of Parliament. Once submitted, the Secretary General examines its admissibility. After the mandatory 14-day window, the motion may be taken up — and crucially, the Speaker does not preside over proceedings while it is under consideration.
That last point matters. Speaker Om Birla has not been chairing House proceedings since the notice was submitted February 10. Under Article 96, the chair is handed to another presiding officer during the debate, who is a member of the Chairperson’s panel.
Article 96 also gives the Speaker the right to defend himself or herself in the House. Thus, Birla can speak and vote in Lok Sabha — but cannot preside over the proceedings.
Also, since he does not have a “division number” like other members, he will not be able to use the automated voting system if the resolution comes up for a vote; he will have to use a slip to register his vote. However, he cannot decide in the case of an equality of vote.
As per Article 95 of the Constitution of India, “While the office of Speaker is vacant, the duties of the office shall be performed by the Deputy Speaker or, if the office of Deputy Speaker is also vacant, by such member of the House of the People as the President may appoint for the purpose,” as per the procedure of the House.
VIDEO | Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi () in Lok Sabha, said, “How can Jagdambika Pal preside Lok Sabha when a resolution for Speaker’s removal is taken up.”
(Full video available on PTI Videos – )
(Source: Third party)
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News)
At least 118 opposition members submitted a notice, accusing Birla of not allowing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders to speak during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address on the , and for .
Congress MPs further accused Birla of “openly espousing the version of the ruling party on all controversial matters,” arguing this constitutes a danger to the proper functioning of the Lok Sabha.
The BJP has pushed back hard. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju warned that the Congress would “regret” the move and predicted the motion’s defeat.
Short answer: No. Three former Lok Sabha Speakers — GV Mavalankar in 1954, Hukam Singh in 1966, and Balram Jakhar in 1987 — all faced no-confidence motions. None lost their position.
The reason is structural. The motion is very difficult to pass as the ruling party or alliance usually has the numbers in their favour, except in case of a minority government.
With the ruling NDA coalition commanding a comfortable majority in the current House, the motion is widely expected to fail. But that may not be the real point. For the Opposition, the exercise is more about making a political statement than winning the vote.
