Who has the authority to declare the seats of the members of Parliament vacant on grounds of defection?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4 i.e. Both 1 and 2.
The authority to declare the seats of the members of Parliament vacant on grounds of defection lies with the Speaker of Lok Sabha and the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. As per the Tenth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, if a member of Parliament voluntarily gives up the membership of their political party or disobeys the party's directives on voting, the Speaker of Lok Sabha or the Chairman of Rajya Sabha can declare their seat vacant upon receiving a complaint from another member of Parliament.