Relax, you lost the election, reminds BJP as Congress objects to Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker over seniority
- In Reports
- 10:01 AM, Jun 22, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Thursday, seven-term parliamentarian and BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha, deviating from the usual convention of appointing the senior-most member of the House to this position. This decision drew sharp criticism from the opposition Congress.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced that President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He will be assisted by senior members Kodikunnil Suresh (Congress), TR Baalu (DMK), Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste (both BJP), and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC). Mahtab, who switched from the BJD to the BJP before the Lok Sabha elections, won the Cuttack parliamentary seat.
Shortly after Rijiju's announcement, the Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of "destroying parliamentary norms" by overlooking the claim of Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term Lok Sabha member, for the post of pro-tem Speaker.
"In yet another attempt at destroying parliamentary norms, Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-term MP, has been appointed the pro-tem Speaker, superseding Kodikunnil Suresh, who will be entering his eighth term," AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in a post on X.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, in a post on Twitter, stated that appointing BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha was another attempt to 'destroy' Parliamentary norms.
Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed Speaker Pro-tem for the first two days when the oath is administered to all newly elected MPs… The senior-most MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) and Virendra Kumar (BJP), both of who are now serving their eighth term.”
Reacting to the criticism, the BJP said the Congress should “relax”, reminding the grand old party that it had lost the Lok Sabha elections.
“You have just lost an election. Relax. Reflect on third consecutive defeat, instead of whining about everything,” BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said on X.
With 98 seats, the decision of who should be the Pro-tem Speaker is not for the Congress to determine. It is beyond their authority. Instead of exceeding their influence, the Congress should appoint veteran MP Kodikunnil Suresh as the Leader of the Opposition. Besides, Rahul Gandhi, who has failed thrice, is not suitable for the role.
While it is customary to appoint the senior-most MP as the pro-tem Speaker, this tradition has been deviated from on multiple occasions.
The precedent of appointing the senior-most MP as the pro-tem Speaker was not adhered to in 1956 when Sardar Hukam Singh was appointed to the post.
In 1977, DN Tiwari was appointed as pro-tem Speaker. He, too, was not the senior-most member of the House.
In 2019, Virendra Kumar, then a seven-term member of the Lok Sabha, was appointed as pro-tem Speaker. Maneka Gandhi was the senior-most member of the previous Lok Sabha being an eight-term member.
Image source: PTI
Comments