Voting in Houses, power of Houses to act notwithstanding vacancies and quorum
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Article 189 (Voting in Houses, power of Houses to act notwithstanding vacancies and quorum): Regulates State Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan Sabha) and Legislative Councils under Part VI.
In Simple Citizen Words
Article 189 ('Voting in Houses, power of Houses to act notwithstanding vacancies and quorum') in Part VI, Chapter III governs the State Legislature (Vidhan Sabha and, where applicable, Vidhan Parishad). It sets the constitutional rules for composition of Assemblies, MLA qualifications/disqualifications, sessions, Speaker/Deputy Speaker duties, passage of State Bills and Budgets, assent to Bills (Arts 200–201), and legislative privileges. Specifically: (1) Save as otherwise provided in this Constitution, all questions at any sitting of a House of the Legislature of a State shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting, other than the Speaker or Chairman, or...
Key Constitutional Provisions
Constitutional Mandate (Art. 189): Directly codifies the legal rule for 'Voting in Houses, power of Houses to act notwithstanding vacancies and quorum' under Part VI
Structured across 4 clause(s) with clear procedural conditions
Any administrative or legislative action violating Article 189 can be challenged before the High Court (Art. 226) or Supreme Court
Exceptions & Reasonable Restrictions
State Legislatures must legislate within the State and Concurrent Lists (Seventh Schedule) and cannot violate Fundamental Rights or constitutional procedures.
Why This Matters in Daily Life
Guarantees democratic law-making and budget scrutiny at the state level through your elected MLAs.
Want deeper legal & historical context? Explore the official Bare Act or Supreme Court Precedents & CAD Debates: