Bhartrihari Mahtab Appointed Pro-tem Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha Speaker 2024: Bhartrihari Mahtab has been appointed as the Speaker Protem of the 18th Lok Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday. As Speaker Protem, Bhartrihari Mahtab will oversee the administration of the oath to the newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) of the 18th Lok Sabha. Mahtab was appointed as pro-tem Speaker under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of the Lok Sabha presiding officer till the election of the Speaker. 

The newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha will make oath or affirmation before the pro-tem Speaker, who will be assisted by a panel of chairpersons comprising Congress leader K Suresh, DMK leader T R Baalu, BJP members Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste and TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadyay.

Who is Bhartrihari Mahtab? 

Bhartruhari Mahtab is a seven-term parliamentarian and had quit the BJD ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to join the BJP. Bhartrihari Mahtab served as a member of Parliament for over 25 years. Mahtab is the son of Dr Harekrushna Mahtab (former Odisha Chief Minister) who was a member of the Indian National Congress, playing a crucial role in the Independence struggle in 1947.  Dr Harekrushna Mahtab also served as the chief minister of Odisha for two terms.

Bhartruhari Mahtab received the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 2017, and the Sansad Ratna Award 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 for his outstanding role as an MP.

Congress hits out at govt of ‘destroying parliamentary norms’

The Congress on Thursday accused the government of "destroying parliamentary norms" by choosing seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem Speaker instead of eight-term Lok Sabha member Kodikunnil Suresh who should have got it as per the convention of naming the senior-most MP to the post.

Mahtab was on Thursday appointed pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.

He said Mahtab, a BJP member from Cuttack, was appointed as pro-tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of the Lok Sabha presiding officer till the election of the Speaker.

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "By convention, the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed Speaker Protem for the first two days when the oath is administered to all newly elected MPs." "The senior-most MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) and Virendra Kumar (BJP), both of who are now serving their eighth term.

"The latter is now a Union minister and hence it was expected that Kodikunnil Suresh would be the Speaker Protem. Instead, a seven-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed Speaker Protem. He was a BJD MP for six terms and is now a BJP MP," Ramesh said on 'X'.

When is the election of the Speaker? 

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on June 24. The newly elected members will take oath/affirmation on June 24-25. The election of the Speaker is scheduled to take place on June 26.