- By Anushka Vats
- Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Seven-term parliamentarian Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday. The pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, who will be assisted by a group of chairpersons including Congressman K Suresh, DMK leader TR Baalu, BJP members Faggan Singh Kulaste and Radha Mohan Singh, and TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadyay, will administer an oath to the newly elected members of the assembly.
"President is pleased to appoint Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member, Lok Sabha as Speaker Protem under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of Speaker till election of the Speaker," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a post on X.
"President is also pleased to appoint Suresh Kodikunnil, Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Members of Lok Sabha under Article 99 of the Constitution to assist Speaker Protem in Oath/Affirmation to newly elected Members of 18th Lok Sabha till election of the Speaker," he added.
Who Is B Mahtab- Pro-tem Speaker Of Lok Saba?
- B Mahtab- the newly appointed pro-tem speaker of the Lok Sabha is a BJP member from Cuttack.
- In 1998, B Mahtab was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha from Cuttack constituency in Odisha.
- He continued to be re-elected from Cuttack in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 too from the same seat.
- In 2017, he became a recipient of the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.
- He has also been awarded the Sansad Ratna Award 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 for his performance in Debates. Reportedly, he has so far attended 185 debates as an MP.
ALSO READ: Canada-based Khalistani Terrorist Landa's Key Aide Arrested By NIA
Congress Objects To The Appointment Of B Mahtab
Congress opposed the government's decision to appoint B Mahtab as the pro-tem speaker saying that the longest-serving MP is made pro tem Speaker as per convention and party MP Kodikunnil Suresh should have been given the role as he is entering his eighth term as parliamentarian.
"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. The seniormost MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) and Virendra Kumar (BJP), both of who are now serving their eighth term. The latter is now a Union Minister and hence it was expected that Kodikunnil Suresh would be the Speaker Protem. Instead, a seven-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed Speaker Protem. He was a BJD MP for six terms and is now a BJP MP," Ramesh said in a post on X.
Other Congress leaders also objected to the decision. Party leader KC Venugopal said the government should explain why it overlooked K Suresh.
(With inputs from agency)
