President Droupadi Murmu, on Thrusday, appointed seven-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. This appointment of the BJP MP comes as per the regultion of the Article 95(1) of the Constitution. Mahtab, an extensively experienced politician is all set to take on the crucial responsibilites of the Pro-tem speaker of Lok Sabha during the initial days of the 18th Lok Sabha session.
The 18th Lok Sabha, which consists of newly elected members of the lower house, is gearing up to to hold its first parliamentary session from June 24 to July 3. One of the key tasks during this period will be to elect the new Speaker of the House. Until the new Speaker is elected, the pro-tem Speaker is appointed by the President of India as per the regulations of the constitution in order to fulfill essential duties and ensuring the smooth functioning of the parliamentary process. The term ‘pro-tem’ translates to ‘for the time being’ or ‘temporarily.’
Bhartruhari Mahtab has had a distinguished political career. He has represented Cuttack in the Lok Sabha since 1998, initially as a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Mahtab, who has won the Cuttack seat six times on a BJD ticket, resigned from the party due to dissatisfaction with its recent functioning and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Running as a BJP candidate, Mahtab secured victory once again in Cuttack, defeating BJD’s Santrupt Misra.
It is worth noting that Mahtab is the son of Harekrushna Mahtab who was the first Chief Minister of the state of Odisha. His political lineage and experience make him the right fit for the role of pro-tem Speaker.
While the Constitution does not particularly mention the post or enlist the significant duties of a pro-tem Speaker, however, the official ‘Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs’ provides a detailed account on the ‘Appointment and Swearing in of Speaker pro tem.’ According to the handbook, when the Speaker’s position becomes vacant before a new Lok Sabha is constituted, it becomes the responsibilty of the President to appoint a member of the House to perform the duties of the Speaker temporarily until the speaker is permanently appointed. “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.”
According to the handbook, one of the primary duties of the pro-tem Speaker is to administer oaths to the new Members of Parliament. Article 99 of the Constitution states that every member of the Lok Sabha must make an oath and subscribe to an affirmation before taking their seat in the House. “Every Member of the House shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the President or some person appointed in that behalf by him, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule of the Constitution.” This oath is administered by the President or an appointed person, in this case, the pro-tem Speaker.
