The Tribune Analysis: After slugfest over pro-tem Speaker, all eyes on appointment of Speaker, Deputy Speaker

Vibha Sharma

Chandigarh, June 24

Setting the tone and tenor for the first session of the newly elected 18th Lok Sabha, the Opposition INDIA bloc launched a protest over the appointment of seven-term MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem Speaker of the House. Led by Congress, Opposition leaders claimed the government ignored Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh, an “MP with as many as eight terms in the House” for the post since he was “a Dalit”.

The INDIA bloc decided to withdraw its members from the panel of chairpersons that will assist Mahtab till the election of the Speaker.

“The INDIA bloc has decided to boycott the Speaker panel. We will not assist the Speaker,” Suresh said.

Along with Suresh, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu of DMK, Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste of BJP and Sudip Bandyopadhyay of TMC were appointed to assist the pro-tem Speaker in the oath-taking of the newly elected members.

The controversy 

According to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, the Opposition was “raising non-issues instead of cooperating to run Parliament”.

Ahead of the session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, launched a direct attack on the Opposition saying the country needs “substance, not slogans, tantrums and drama”. At the same time, he also expressed hope that the Opposition will play a constructive role in the new Lok Sabha starting Monday.

Pro-tem Speaker 

The first agenda of the new House is to elect the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

However, before that the President swears in the pro-tem Speaker who is normally the senior-most member of the House, who then administers the oath or the affirmation to the newly elected members. Then the elected representatives become the members of the new Parliament and elect a Speaker from amongst themselves.

As per convention, the post of Deputy Speaker is given to a member of opposition.

Hullabaloo over temporary post 

The slugfest between BJP and Congress over the appointment of Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker, a temporary post, is the first flashpoint between the ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc, indicative of days to follow in the new Lok Sabha.

Observers are anticipating a “stormy session” with “a slightly subdued BJP-led NDA and a buoyant Congress and other INDIA bloc parties due to the numbers in the House”.

Mahtab is a seven-term Lok Sabha member from Cuttack.

According to the Opposition, eight-term member K Suresh was overlooked for the temporary post because he was a “Dalit”. As per the “established tradition” in the Lok Sabha, the senior-most MP becomes the pro-tem Speaker.

Giving the controversy an added colour, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Suresh was ignored for the post because he is a “Dalit”.

However, as per the government, unlike Suresh, Mahtab has had an uninterrupted run in the Lok Sabha.

Newly elected BJP MP Sambit Patra said the decision was made according to the established convention rather than law. On Sunday, Rijiju had also reached out to TMC leader Bandyopadhyay after the INDIA bloc decided to withdraw its members from the panel of chairpersons assisting Mahtab.

All eyes on Speaker/Deputy Speaker 

Appointed by the President, the pro-tem Speaker administers the oath to newly elected members and oversees the proceedings of the House until the permanent Speaker is elected.

As the head of the Lok Sabha, the Speaker is the custodian of the House, maintains order in the House, can adjourn/suspend proceedings in case of absence of decorum, etc.

The Speaker is also the final authority regarding rules and procedures and for a party which may not have a majority on its own, he or she also holds the key to its stability with final say in issues/disputes related to disqualification and situations like a vote of no confidence against the government.

Experts say the Speaker’s role becomes important when it comes to proving majority on the floor of the House or in case the anti-defection law comes into play. For a party with a comfortable majority (like BJP in the past two tenures) the Speaker’s post has been mostly ceremonial. In fact, the post of the Deputy Speaker was also kept vacant. All eyes are on the next step—appointment of new Speaker and Deputy Speaker.