Conscience vote
Topic: Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 5 "Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System"
Meaning
A conscience vote means legislators vote as they personally wish, not as the party orders. In the 1969 presidential election, Congress president Nijalingappa issued a whip (a party order on how to vote) for the official candidate, N. Sanjeeva Reddy. Indira Gandhi openly asked Congress MPs and MLAs to vote by their conscience instead. The anti-defection law does not cover presidential elections, so a party whip there has no legal force.
Example
In 1969, many Congress legislators followed her call and voted for V.V. Giri, who stood as an independent. Giri won and Reddy lost, and the rift in the Congress grew deeper.
Don't confuse with
- Defection: leaving the party on whose symbol you won. In a conscience vote, members stay in the party and only disobey its instruction in one vote.