BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab appointed pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha

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

Mahtab, a six-term Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP, had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) weeks before the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress had expected that Kodikunnil Suresh, the party’s eight-term Lok Sabha member from Kerala, would be appointed the pro-tem Speaker. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh pointed out that “by convention, the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed” the pro-tem Speaker for the first two days when the oath is administered to all the newly elected MPs.

Ramesh said the seniormost MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Congress’ Suresh and BJP’s Virendra Kumar, both of whom are serving their eighth terms. Virendra Kumar is now a Union Minister, and hence, it was expected that K Suresh would be the Speaker Pro-tem. Instead, a seven-term MP, Mahtab, has been appointed pro-tem Speaker, Ramesh posted on X. Mahtab was a six-term BJD MP and is now a BJP MP, Ramesh pointed out.

In his post on X, Rijiju 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.

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 Trinamool Congress’ Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Rijiju said.

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. The Rajya Sabha will convene on June 27.

The President will address a joint sitting of the two Houses on June 27. Subsequently, the two Houses will take up the discussion on the President’s address. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reply to the debate on June 30.

In 2019, the senior most MP, BJP's Maneka Gandhi, had turned down becoming the pro-tem Speaker. The President had then appointed Virendra Kumar as the pro-tem Speaker.