Ninety-seven MPs from the Lok Sabha and 46 MPs from the Rajya Sabha have been suspended during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. This is the highest number of MPs suspended in a single session in the history of Parliament. The record number was due to the Opposition’s demand for a statement from the Home Minister over the security breach in Parliament. Commenting on the suspensions, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of attacking Parliament and democracy.
The highest number of MPs suspended from the Lok Sabha was previously 63 (during the Eighth Lok Sabha, on March 15, 1989, when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister). According to The Hindu archives, the entire Opposition was suspended due to its demand that the government discuss the Thakkar Commission report on the assassination of Indira Gandhi. That evening, Janata Dal leader V.P. Singh spoke to the media and accused the government of acting in a “brazen” fashion.
Twenty-nine MPs from Tamil Nadu were suspended, the highest number across all States, which left just 10 MPs to represent the people of the State in the Lok Sabha for the remaining days of the session (Table 1). Eighteen MPs from Kerala were suspended, leaving just two MPs, and 14 from West Bengal were suspended, leaving just 27 MPs. A lone MP from Puducherry was also on the suspension list, which leaves the Union Territory without any representation. This is the case with Lakshadweep, too.
Table 1 shows the States represented by the suspended Lok Sabha MPs.
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Thirty-eight MPs from the Congress were suspended, the highest number across all parties, which leaves just 10 Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha (Table 2). Sixteen MPs from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and 13 from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) were suspended, leaving eight and nine MPs from each party in the Lok Sabha, respectively. All three MPs belonging to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) were suspended. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Kerala Congress (M) (KC(M)) were also left without an MP in the Lok Sabha as their lone MPs were suspended.
Table 2 shows the parties represented by the suspended Lok Sabha MPs.
Eight MPs from West Bengal were suspended, the highest number across all States, which left a similar number to represent the people of the State in the Rajya Sabha (Table 3). Seven MPs from Kerala and five from Tamil Nadu were suspended.
Table 3 shows the States represented by the suspended Rajya Sabha MPs.
Eighteen MPs from the Congress were suspended, the highest number across all parties, which left just 12 in the Rajya Sabha (Table 4). Eight MPs from AITC and five from the DMK were suspended. Both the MPs from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the lone MP from KC(M) were suspended leaving the parties without an MP in the Rajya Sabha.
Table 4 shows the parties represented by the suspended Rajya Sabha MPs.
The above calculations are based on the list of sitting MPs available in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha website as on Tuesday.
Under UPA-I and II, 50 MPs were suspended; 189 MPs were suspended during NDA-I and II.
Chart 1 shows the session-wise suspension of members in each term of the last four Lok Sabhas (UPA-I, UPA-II, NDA-I, and NDA-II). Each bar corresponds to a member who was suspended during the session of a specific term. Y-axis shows the Lok Sabha number and the session in which the MPs were suspended. For example, two MPs were suspended in the 17th Lok Sabha’s 12th session (denoted as 17-12 on the Y-axis). The highlighted region shows the UPA terms.
Only sessions during which at least one MP was suspended are depicted. Bars in the 15th Lok Sabha’s 14th session appear thick because some MPs were suspended more than once.
Seven members were suspended from the Rajya Sabha under UPA-I and II compared to the 94 members under NDA-I and II.
Chart 2 shows the session-wise number of members suspended. The highlighted region shows the UPA terms.
Source: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha website
nihalani.j@thehindu.co.in
Also read: Suspended Lok Sabha MP count nearly doubles during NDA terms | Data
