President Draupadi Murmu appoints BJP Lok Sabha MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Protem Speaker
New Delhi: President Draupadi Murmu has appointed the Protem Speaker. Bhartruhari Mahtab, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Odisha, has been appointed to this post in view of the Lok Sabha session. Mahtab is a seven-time MP and will perform all the responsibilities of the Speaker in the House until the appointment of the next permanent Speaker. President Draupadi Murmu has appointed the BJP MP as Protem Speaker under Article 95 (1) of the Constitution.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says that Lok Sabha members K. Suresh, TR Balu, Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sudip Bandyopadhyay will assist Protem Speaker Mahtab. He further said that Bhartruhari Mahtab will discharge the duties as the presiding officer till the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker. Let us tell you that the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin from June 24. The newly elected members will take oath on 24-25 June.
Who is Bhartrihari Mahtab?
Bhartrihari Mahtab has been elected MP seven times from Cuttack Lok Sabha seat of Odisha. He resigned from the permanent membership of the party just before the Lok Sabha elections this year, giving a big blow to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). With this, he joined the BJP.
Why is the Protem Speaker appointed?
The Protem Speaker is appointed as the temporary Speaker of the Parliament. This appointment is made when the regular Speaker has not been elected. The job of the Protem Speaker is to administer the oath to the elected members. Apart from this, the process of election of the new Speaker has to be conducted. The role of the Protem Speaker is temporary and this responsibility ends after the selection of the new Speaker.
