President Droupadi Murmu appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab, a BJP MP, as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha on Thursday under Article 95(1) of the Constitution.
The 18th Lok Sabha, with its newly elected members, will convene its inaugural session from June 24 to July 3. During this period, the House will elect its new Speaker, while the pro-tem Speaker will undertake essential duties. 'Pro-tem' signifies a temporary role.
Mahtab, who had been elected six times from Cuttack since 1998 on a BJD ticket, resigned from the regional party due to dissatisfaction with its recent functioning. He joined the BJP before this year's Lok Sabha elections. In 2024, Mahtab won Cuttack again as a BJP candidate, defeating BJD's Santrupt Misra.
Although the Constitution does not explicitly mention the pro-tem Speaker's position, the official 'Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs' outlines the procedures for the 'Appointment and Swearing in of Speaker pro tem'. According to the handbook, if the Speaker's position is vacant before a new Lok Sabha is formed, "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".
The primary responsibility of the pro-tem Speaker is to administer oaths to the newly elected MPs. According to Article 99 of the Constitution, "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."
