The appointment of one of the oldest parliamentarians of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Bhartruhari Mahtab, as the pro-tem Speaker in the Lok Sabha, is a break in tradition when generally the posting goes to the most senior member. This decision brought criticism from the opposition Congress party.
The pro-tem Speaker's principal job is to administer the oath or affirmation to new members of the 18th Lok Sabha and preside over the proceedings until a permanent Speaker is elected. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju announced that President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker. Mahtab will be supported by senior members including K Suresh from the Congress, T R Baalu from DMK, Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste from BJP, and Sudip Bandyopadhyay from TMC.
The Congress attacked the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday for violating the parliamentary tradition while bypassing its eight-time Lok Sabha member Kodikunnil Suresh for the post of pro-tem Speaker. Charging the government with violating norms, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal pointed out to Mahtab's appointment overlooking Suresh, who is reportedly the senior-most Dalit MP.
However, the BJP rubbished the criticism and asked Congress to introspect after their poll losses. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya asked Congress to focus on electoral performance rather than crying over procedural decisions.
While Mahtab, who joined BJP from BJD ahead of elections, won in the Cuttack parliamentary constituency, the list of pro-tem Speakers is not necessarily a regular trend as tradition does not always go for appointing a senior-most member. One example was that of Sardar Hukam Singh in 1956, followed by D N Tiwari in 1977.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is to begin on June 24, when members will take their oaths or make affirmations. On June 26, the election for the post of Speaker is scheduled.
Read also | International Yoga Day 2024: PM Modi leads celebrations on banks of Dal Lake in Kashmir
