The 18th Lok Sabha's first session commenced on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being sworn in as an MP by pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, a BJP leader. President Droupadi Murmu had earlier administered the oath to Mahtab, sparking sharp reactions from the Opposition.
The role of the pro-tem Speaker is traditionally given to one of the senior-most MPs in the House. Their main responsibility is to administer the oath to new members of the Lok Sabha. This temporary post is meant to uphold parliamentary conventions and traditions.
The Congress Party objected to Mahtab's appointment, arguing that their leader, Kodikunnil Suresh, who was first elected in 1989 and is now an eight-time MP, was overlooked. Mahtab, first elected in 1998, is a seven-time MP. The Congress accused the BJP of bypassing tradition to favor Mahtab over Suresh, who is a Dalit leader.
Congress leader KC Venugopal criticized the move, stating, "In yet another attempt at destroying parliamentary norms, Mr. Bhartruhari Mahtab (a 7-term MP) has been appointed the Pro-Tem Speaker, superseding Sh. @kodikunnilMP, who will be entering his 8th term. It is an unquestioned norm that the senior-most MP presides over the proceedings of the House before the Speaker is duly elected. The government should explain why it chose to overlook K Suresh, what was the factor that disqualified him from this post?"
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the government's choice, explaining that Mahtab's seven consecutive terms in the Lok Sabha made him eligible for the post. In contrast, K Suresh, despite winning eight elections, had interruptions in his service, having lost in 1998 and 2004. Rijiju asserted, "Mahtab has seven uninterrupted terms as the MP, as against four consecutive terms of Suresh, which made the former eligible for the post."
As a mark of protest, the INDIA bloc announced that opposition leaders Suresh, Baalu, and Bandopadhyay would not join the panel of chairpersons.
Here is a list of earlier pro-tem Speakers:
| S. No. | Pro-tem Speaker | Political Party | Lok Sabha |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somnath Chatterjee | CPI(M) | 14th (2004) |
| 2 | Manikrao Hodlya Gavit | Congress | 15th (2009) |
| 3 | Kamal Nath | Congress | 16th (2014) |
| 4 | Virendra Kumar Khatik | BJP | 17th (2019) |
| 5 | Bhartruhari Mahtab | BJP | 18th (2024) |
The controversy over the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker has added a layer of tension to the start of the new Lok Sabha session, highlighting the ongoing political friction between the ruling party and the opposition.
