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Polity & Governance
Mahesh

14/07/24 21:03 PM IST

Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha

In News
  • Traditionally, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker have been elected from different parties — except in the beginning when Congress was the sole major party. 
Election of Deputy Speaker
  • As per Article 93 of the Indian Constitution, the members of the Lok Sabha may elect the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker from among its members, ‘as soon as may be,’ with the article providing no specific time frame.
  • The date of the election is fixed by the Speaker and members are informed via bulletin, according to the Rules and Procedures of Parliament. The vote is held via ballot paper.
  • Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker will hold the post till the dissolution of the Lower House. He/she can be removed from the post by passage of a resolution supported by a majority of the members.
  • In case he/she ceases to be a member of the House, the Deputy Speaker must vacate office.
  • Members may elect another Deputy Speaker if and when the seat falls vacant.
  • In terms of precedence, the Deputy Speaker is in the tenth place along with the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Ministers of State of Union and members of the Planning Commission.
Duties of Deputy Speaker
  • As per the Rules and Procedures of Parliament, the Deputy Speaker aids the Speaker in the functioning of the Lower House and if the Speaker post is vacant, chairs the proceedings of the House and performs the Speaker’s duties.
  • If the Deputy Speaker is nominated to a legislative committee, he becomes its chairman by default.
  • Unlike the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker is allowed to participate in debates and cast his vote as an elected member of the House when the Speaker is presiding.
  • However, even when the Deputy Speaker presides over proceedings, he can cast his vote in case of a tie in Parliament.
  • As per convention, neither the Speaker nor his Deputy sponsor Bills or resolutions nor do they table questions.
  • The Deputy Speaker’s salary is charged on the Consolidated Fund of India and is not subject to a vote.
  • During the absence of the Speaker, Article 95 empowers the Deputy Speaker to preside over the sittings, maintain order and ensure discipline in the House.
  • While acting as the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker has the power to censure and suspend members and adjourn the House, if and when necessary. 
  • When the House is debating a motion to remove the Deputy Speaker, which can be moved only on a notice given fourteen days in advance, he cannot preside over the proceedings, as per Article 96.
  • However, he is allowed to vote in the first instance of such a resolution, but not cast the deciding vote in case of a tie.
Parliament tradition
  • Though it has not been mandated by law, it is a parliamentary convention that a member of the Opposition assumes the Deputy Speaker’s post.
  • This ensures a balance in the proceedings and offers the Opposition a fair chance to voice their opinions in the House.
  • In the fourth and fifth Lok Sabha (1969-1977), Mr. G.G. Swell of the Meghalaya-based All Party Hill Leaders Conference was elected as the Deputy Speaker, when the Indira Gandhi-led Congress was in power.
  • The tradition continued post-Emergency, when the Janata Party swept into power. Congress’ Godey Murahari was elected to the post between 1977-79.
  • The tradition was first altered between 1980 and 1989. In the seventh Lok Sabha (1980-84), Congress, which swept back to power, elected Mr. G Lakshmanan belonging to its alliance party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as Deputy Speaker.
  • However, in 1984, Congress joined hands with DMK’s rival – All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and was awarded a landslide victory. Mr. M. Thambidurai of the AIADMK was elected as Deputy Speaker.
  • In the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government between 2004 and 2009, Congress chose to forego both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker post, electing ally CPM’s Somnath Chatterjee as Speaker and Opposing party Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) Charanjit Singh Atwal as his Deputy.
  • After being elected with bigger majority in 2009, Congress elected its own Meira Kumar as Speaker while electing rival BJP’s Kariya Munda as her Deputy.
Source- The Hindu

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