What is Mandatory Whip?

A whip is a directive from the party that binds party members of a House to obey the line of the party. There are three kinds of whip.

• A one line whip is issued to inform the members about the vote
• Two line whip is issued to inform the members to be present inside the House at the time of the vote
• Three line whip is issued directing members to vote according to the party line. 

Supreme Court inKihoto Holohan vs Zachillhu case, 1992 held that the application of the Tenth Schedule, which subsumes the mandatory whip, is limited to avote on “no-confidence” or  “motion of confidence”in the government or where the motion under consideration relates to a matter which was an integral program or policy of the political party.

If an MP violates the whip of his party, he or she is evicted from the House under the Anti-Defection Law. A three-line whip can be violated only if 1/3rd of the party members of the House decide to vote against the party line.