Initiate Process to Elect Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Without Further Delay: Kharge

On Tuesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to initiate the process of electing a Deputy Speaker for the Lok Sabha, a position that has remained vacant since 2019. Kharge emphasized that this is the first time in India’s history that the post has been unfilled for such a prolonged period.

The last person to hold the position was M. Thambi Durai of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) during the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019), while the Speaker at the time was Sumitra Mahajan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Despite repeated queries, the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has declined to provide any explanation regarding the delay in filling the Deputy Speaker’s role, nor have they commented on any plans to elect one.

Kharge pointed out that since the first Lok Sabha, every session has had a Deputy Speaker, and it has become a well-established convention for the position to be filled by a member of the main opposition party. “For the first time in independent India’s history, this important position has remained vacant for two consecutive Lok Sabha terms. No Deputy Speaker was elected during the Seventeenth Lok Sabha, and this concerning trend continues in the current Eighteenth Lok Sabha,” Kharge noted.

Kharge also warned that a vacant Deputy Speaker position undermines India’s democratic framework and violates constitutional provisions. He referenced Article 93 of the Indian Constitution, which mandates the election of both a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha. “Constitutionally, the Deputy Speaker holds the second-highest presiding office in the House, directly following the Speaker,” Kharge added.

According to Kharge, the Deputy Speaker is usually elected in the second or third session of a newly constituted Lok Sabha, following a procedure similar to that of the Speaker election. The key difference lies in the fact that the Speaker determines the date for the Deputy Speaker’s election, as per Rule 8(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha.

Article 93 of the Constitution stipulates that the Lok Sabha must elect both a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker. In the absence of the Speaker, Article 95(1) outlines that the Deputy Speaker assumes the Speaker’s responsibilities. This role grants the Deputy Speaker the same general powers as the Speaker when presiding over the House.

While there is no fixed timeline for appointing a Deputy Speaker, the rules mandate that the election should be held “as soon as may be.” The Deputy Speaker is elected by a simple majority of members present and voting.