Speaker orders re-vote on Constitution Amendment Bill in LS

NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented move, Speaker Meira Kumar today ordered a re-vote on a Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha as confusion prevailed among members on the voting process.

CPI(M) member A Sampath moved amendment to the Constitution (One Hundred and Eleventh Amendment) Bill that seeks to make the right to form cooperatives a fundamental right.

Trouble began soon after Samapth's amendment to Clause 2 of the Bill was negatived and the Speaker put the clause to vote.

As many as 276 members voted - 235 in favour of Clause 2, 35 against and the rest abstained.

Rule books were referred to amid confusion among members over the status of Clause 2 of the Constitution Amendment Bill, and a section felt that Sampath's amendments were carried.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar conveyed to the Lok Sabha Secretariat officials that a large number of members favoured that the voting be carried out again.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal requested the Speaker to call for a division again as there was some confusion among members over the Clause.

The rules of procedure state that each clause of a Bill seeking to amend the Constitution has to be put to vote separately and be passed by a majority of the total membership of the House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.