Key facts
- Bill proposes removal of PM or CM under specific conditions
- JPC likely to retain clause: ministers in custody 30+ days to be removed
- Two-thirds parliamentary majority required for passage
- Likely to be tabled in the upcoming Monsoon Session
The government is preparing to introduce legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament that would enable the removal of a Prime Minister or Chief Minister under specific circumstances, according to reports by News18 and NDTV. The bill has been in development for some time, and a Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the legislation is expected to retain a key clause: the automatic removal of ministers who spend 30 days or more in custody.
The proposal is constitutionally and politically significant. For a constitutional amendment of this nature to pass, a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament is required — a threshold that has become a central question given the current composition of the NDA alliance. Analysts are already questioning whether the ruling bloc can muster sufficient numbers, particularly in the Rajya Sabha where its position is narrower.
The 'jailed ministers' clause has been debated in Indian political circles for years, with critics arguing that the existing system allows individuals facing serious criminal charges to continue wielding executive power. Proponents of the bill argue it strengthens democratic accountability; opponents warn it could be misused against political rivals through engineered arrests.
With the Monsoon Session approaching, the bill's fate will test both the government's legislative arithmetic and its willingness to take on a reform that could, in theory, apply to its own leaders as much as to the opposition.