Lok Sabha Speaker election: Who will become the Lok Sabha Speaker?
Who will be the Lok Sabha Speaker?: After the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has informed that the election of the Lok Sabha Speaker is to be held on the 26th of this month. But even after a week of government formation, speculations are rife about the post of Speaker for the 18th Lok Sabha. It is not yet clear who will be the NDA alliance's candidate.
At the same time, the leaders of the opposition INDIA alliance are insisting that the post of Lok Sabha Speaker should be given to either JDU or TDP, who have proved to be kingmakers for the NDA. In this Lok Sabha election, BJP emerged as the largest party by winning 240 seats, but could not get a majority on its own. In such a situation, NDA allies JDU and TDP became kingmakers. TDP has won 16 seats and JDU has won 12 seats.
Speaker's post should go to NDA allies: TDP
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party JDU, which is part of the NDA, has supported the BJP for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. However, the TDP has suggested that a candidate should be decided unanimously after discussions with the NDA alliance partners.
TDP national spokesperson Pattabhi Ram Komareddy said, "NDA allies will sit together and decide who will be our candidate for the speaker. Once a consensus is reached, we will field that candidate, and all allies, including the TDP, will support that candidate."
At present, the name of Andhra Pradesh BJP leader Daggubati Purandeswari is leading for this post. At the same time, TDP MP from Amalapuram GM Harish Balayogi is also being considered a strong contender for this speaker's post.
Sanjay Raut made an offer to TDP
Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) MP Sanjay Raut, who is part of the opposition INDIA alliance, said on Sunday, "The election for the post of Lok Sabha speaker is very important. This time the situation is not like 2014 and 2019. The current NDA government is not stable. Anything can happen. I have heard that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has asked for the post of speaker. This is his right demand. If the speaker's post is not filled by an MP from an NDA ally party, then Narendra Modi and Amit Shah will first break the TDP MPs."
Sanjay Raut further said that if TDP does not get this post and field their candidate, then we will discuss this with the partners of the entire India alliance. We will try our best that our entire alliance supports TDP.
Demand for the post of deputy speaker
INDIA Block has also expressed its intention to field its candidate for the post of Speaker. But political analysts say that if the opposition alliance gets the post of Deputy Speaker, it may withdraw from fielding its candidate. Sanjay Raut has also said that as per the rules, the post of Deputy Speaker should go to the opposition.
The post of Deputy Speaker has been vacant since the 17th Lok Sabha. In such a situation, the opposition is hopeful that this time the Deputy Speaker will also be elected. The post of Deputy Speaker has always been with the opposition parties.
What is the power of the Lok Sabha speaker?
The Speaker is responsible for running the House smoothly. The Speaker's opinion is also important on the disqualification of members. If there is a tie on any bill, the Speaker's vote is decisive.
The most important are the powers vested in the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The Tenth Schedule or the Anti-Defection Law, introduced in the Constitution through the 50th (Amendment) Act, 1985, gives the Speaker of the House the power to disqualify MLAs who 'defect' from a party. In a landmark 1992 case, the Supreme Court upheld the power vested in the Speaker and held that only the Speaker's final order would be subject to judicial review.
Defections can change the numbers game of the House and topple the government. If the Speaker takes timely action and disqualifies such members, the new government may not have a majority.