What is a Floor Test? How is voting Done?

After Jyotiraditya Scindia joined BJP and 22 other MLAs resigned from Kamal Nath government the majority government reduced to a minority. Ex-Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan and nine other BJP MLAs approached Supreme Court on 16th March 2020 and asked to hold a floor test.

On 20th March 2020, Kamal Nath resigned as a Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh ahead of a floor test. 

• The floor test was called on the orders of the Supreme Court after resignations by 22 MLAs pulled the ruling Congress well below the halfway mark in the state assembly.
• Madhya Pradesh governor Lalji Tandon accepts resignation of chief minister KamalNath and his cabinet.

What is a Floor Test?

A floor test is a mechanism of the constitution to test the majority in the Legislative Assembly or the Lok Sabha. 

• It determines if the government has the support of the legislature.
• In case of any doubt against the Chief Minister, he is asked by the governor to prove majority in the house.
• The Chief Minister hails from the single largest party or coalition forming a majority.
• In case of the absence of this majority when more than one individual stakes a claim to form the government, the Governor calls a special session to determine who has the majority to form the government.
• Then the leader of the party that claims the majority is required to move a Vote of Confidence.

Composite Floor Test

• When there is more than one person staking claim to form the government and the majority is not clear, the governor calls for a special session to see who has the required majority.
• Those present and voting are counted as the majority.

These are the modes by which voting can be conducted:

1. Voice vote: In a voice vote, the legislators answer orally.
2. Division vote: In case of a division vote, voting is done using electronic gadgets, slips or in a ballot box.
3. Ballot vote: Ballot box is normally if a secret vote - just like how people vote during state or parliamentary elections. 

• The person having the majority is allowed to form the government.
• The Speaker casts his vote in case of a tie.

No-Confidence Motion

• No-Confidence Motion /Vote of No-Confidence/No-Trust Vote can be sought by any House member giving their assent that they no longer have any confidence in the ruling government.

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