A confidence motion or a trust vote is a procedure for the government to prove its majority in the House.
- A trust vote can take place by way of a motion of confidence which is moved by the government or brought by the opposition.
- It is a motion normally proposed by the Prime Minister/Chief Minister to test the majority in the Lok Sabha/State Assembly.
- Such an exercise normally takes place when a new government is set to be formed. Any party will first have to prove its majority on the floor of the House before taking over.
- A trust vote can also be brought about if a government resigns and another party stakes a claim to form the government.
- If the confidence motion is negatived, it results in the fall of the government.
Can a no-confidence motion be ignored?
- As per the rules, a no-confidence motion takes precedence over any other business of the house.
- “A no-confidence motion cannot be ignored,” explained PDT Acharya, former Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha. “Unlike other motions, a speaker has no say in admitting or not admitting a no-confidence motion. It is admitted by the House itself.”
- Given how inaccurate voice votes are, they are rarely if ever used for something as critical as when the house decides to show it support (Trust Vote) – or lack thereof (No-Confidence Motion) – in the government.
- Manipur’s confidence motion in August 2020 might be the first time a voice vote has been used in this way in Indian history.
No-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman
- Around 47 members of opposition parties moved a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh after two controversial farm bills were passed amid an unprecedented uproar.
- A no-confidence motion against the Deputy Chairman is a first in parliament and the convention is that Mr Singh should not preside over house sessions till the matter is settled.