Congress Upset as BJP’s Bhratruhari Mehtab Appointed Pro-tem Speaker Over Senior MP K Suresh
In New Delhi, the appointment of BJP MP Bhratruhari Mehtab as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha has caused a stir among Congress and India Bloc parties. Traditionally, the senior-most MP is appointed, but this time, Mehtab, a seventh-term MP, was chosen over Congress leader K Suresh, an eighth-term MP.
Congress leader K Suresh expressed his disappointment, stating, “We are claiming that an eighth-term MP should be the pro-tem Speaker…They have done wrong, and now the whole country is criticising the decision of the BJP government.”
Congress MP Hibi Eden also criticized the decision, saying, “There are certain customs related to the Parliament of India, and it is always the senior-most member, irrespective of the party, who is given the opportunity to become the pro-tem speaker. Unfortunately, a Dalit member, who is an 8-time MP from Kerala has been denied the right to become the pro-tem speaker. This shows the attitude of the NDA government towards the Dalit and the oppressed community of this country.”
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will include the oath-taking ceremony of newly-elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Droupadi Murmu will administer the oath to Bhratruhari Mehtab, who will then call upon Prime Minister Modi to take his oath as a member of the House. The session is expected to be contentious, with the opposition likely to challenge the BJP-led NDA government on various issues, including the election of the Speaker on June 26 and allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET.
President Murmu has also appointed several MPs to assist the pro-tem Speaker in the oath-taking process. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will run from June 24 to July 3, while the 264th Session of the Rajya Sabha will commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3.
Additionally, the Samajwadi Party will hold a parliamentary meeting in Delhi, chaired by party National President Akhilesh Yadav.