The 15th two-day All India Whips Conference started in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Inaugurating the conference, Punjab Governor, Mr. Shivraj V. Patil said that the role of whips is very important for the smooth functioning of Parliament and legislative bodies of the country. <br/><br/>He said, in the era of coalition governments, duty of whips has become more demanding as they are to maintain the complete understanding amongst the parties to get best results. The Governor said that in the light of anti-defection law, the responsibilities of the whips have increased to see that no politician should play a role to topple a government.<br/><br/>While addressing the conference, the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Pawan Kumar Bansal said that the duty of the whip is to guide their party legislators on the issues to be discussed in the elected bodies so that they are well aware of the matter and issues to be deliberated in the legislature for the smooth functioning of Parliament and State Legislature. <br/><br/>About 125 delegates from the Centre and the State Parliamentary Affairs Ministries, Chief Whips and Whips of political parties in the two Houses of Parliament and in the Legislative Assemblies and Councils of the States, Union Teritories and other leaders are participating in the conference.<br/>The All India Whips Conference is periodically held to discuss matters of mutual interest on the subjects concerning the functioning of Parliament and State Legislatures and make unanimous recommendations for consideration of Central and state governments as well as Parliament and State Legislatures.