BJP’s Strategic Move: Bhartruhari Mahtab Appointed Pro-tem Speaker

Preventing the custom of designating a member of the Lower House with the highest seniority as temporary Speaker of the House, President Droupadi Murmu named BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who defected from the BJD shortly before the elections, as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Despite the BJP's numbers falling well short of the majority, the nomination was interpreted as a sign that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government would not give up any ground to the opposition, even if it was not required by law.

With Mahtab's selection, the new government seemed disinclined to adhere to democratic norms, despite the Opposition's persistent demands for the Deputy Speaker position, which have been strengthened by their increasing influence in the House. Mahtab, a member of the BJD, has been elected to the Lok Sabha six times since 1998. This time, he is running for a seventh term as a BJP MP from the Cuttack seat.

In contrast, Virendra Kumar of the BJP and Kodukunnil Suresh of the Congress were both elected to the 18th Lok Sabha for an eighth term. It was anticipated that Suresh would be appointed as the acting Speaker after Virendra took the oath of office as a Union minister. Virendra was designated as the pro-tem Speaker of the previous Lok Sabha.

Jairam Ramesh, general secretary of the Congress and in-charge of communications, noted the disregard for convention without specifically blaming anyone. "By convention, the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed Speaker Protem for the first two days when oath is administered to all newly elected MPs," Ramesh said on X.

The 18th Lok Sabha will convene for its first session on June 24 and hold its speaker election on June 26.