BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab appointed pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha, what will his role be?

BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed as pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday.

Mahtab, a key leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJ) from Odisha, is said to be in the race for Speaker’s post in the 18th Lok Sabha, which will hold its first session from June 24 to July 3.

The new Speaker will be appointed in the first session of Lok Sabha and till then, Mahtab will serve as pro-tem Speaker, which is a temporary post.

In a post on X, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju said: “(The) President is pleased to appoint Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member, Lok Sabha as Speaker Protem under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of Speaker till election of the Speaker.”

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President is pleased to appoint Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member, Lok Sabha as Speaker Protem under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of Speaker till election of the Speaker.
President is also pleased to appoint Shri Suresh Kodikunnil, Shri Thalikkottai…

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 20, 2024

Mahtab’s appointment to the post intensifies the suspense over the post of the Speaker, for which leaders from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were reportedly being considered.

Apart from Mahtab, D Purandeshwari, the chief of the BJP’s Andhra Pradesh unit, was doing the rounds for the Speaker’s post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take a call on the issue before parliament convenes.

Who is Bhartruhari Mahtab, pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha?

- Bhartruhari Mahtab is the son of Odisha’s first chief minister - Harekrushna Mahatab.

- Mahtab was initially a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He joined the BJP on March 28 this year after resigning from Naveen Patnaik’s party expressing displeasure over its functioning in the recent years.

- Mahtab has won from the Cuttack seat since 1998 on a BJD ticket six times.

- In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Mahtab won again from Cuttack and this time as a BJP candidate.

What is a pro-tem Speaker post?

The term ‘pro-tem’ means ‘for the time being’ or ‘temporarily’.

Though there is no mention of the post of pro-tem Speaker in the Constitution, the official ‘Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs’ speaks about the ‘Appointment and Swearing in of Speaker pro tem’.

As per the handbook, when the Speaker post falls vacant before a new Lok Sabha, “the duties of the Speaker are to be performed by a Member of the House appointed for this purpose by the President as Speaker pro tem”.

The post of pro-tem Speaker traditionally goes to the senior most member of parliament, who later administers oath to the Prime Minister’s Council of ministers and other MPs, till a Speaker is appointed.

Roles & responsibilities of pro-tem Speaker

- The primary duty of the Speaker pro-tem is to administer oaths to the new MPs.

- The pro-tem Speaker oversees the first meeting of the newly elected house until a permanent Speaker is elected.

-Also, the Speaker pro-tem facilitates the election process for the Speaker as well as the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

-Pro-tem Speaker also has the crucial role to ensure smooth functioning and upholding decorum in the house till the new Speaker is elected.

- The Speaker pro-tem even has to administer the floor test to ensure the majority support of the government.

With inputs from agencies