Why in News ?
On June 24th, 2024, BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed as the ‘Speaker pro tem’ of the 18th Lok Sabha, which is a temporary post. The election of the full-time Speaker is scheduled for June 26th as fixed by the President.
Today’s News :
Article 93 of the Constitution states that the Lok Sabha shall choose two members to be its Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The election of the Speaker is held on a date fixed by the President. All the Speakers in independent India have been elected unopposed. The election of Deputy Speaker is held on a date fixed by the Speaker.
Today (26 June) is a crucial day for the 18th Lok Sabha. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INDI Alliance are going up against each other in a battle for the Speaker’s post — many call it one of the most important positions in a parliamentary democracy.
The election for the Speaker will be held today and will see a battle between the NDA’s pick of Om Birla, who has served as Speaker previously, and INDI Alliance’s Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term MP from Kerala’s Mavelikara.
How is the Speaker elected ?
The Speaker is elected from among the members of the lower house of the Parliament. Rules regarding the election of the Speaker is governed by Article 93 of the Constitution.
It states: “The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.”
On the day of the election — this time it’s on 26 June — the MPs will cast their votes in a secret ballot and the candidate who secures the majority of votes becomes the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
There are no other criteria listed for the position. However, seniority, experience and impartiality are considered when choosing a candidate for the position.
Historically, most candidates for the Speaker are elected without any contest. In the 16th and 17 Lok Sabha, Sumitra Mahajan and Om Birla — both BJP MPs — were elected as Speakers of the Lok Sabha without any opposition.
The Speaker holds the position until the House is dissolved or he/she resigns or is removed from office by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Sabha.