Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-time MP and prominent BJP leader, was appointed as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. His role involves administering the oath/affirmation to newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha and presiding over the Lower House until the election of the Speaker takes place on June 26.

In a newly formed Lok Sabha, the Speaker is elected by a simple majority. Prior to the election of the Speaker, a pro-tem Speaker is appointed to fulfill essential duties. The term ‘pro-tem’ denotes a temporary position. The main responsibility of the pro-tem Speaker is to administer oaths to newly elected Members of Parliament.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju disclosed that President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Mahtab, aged 66, as the pro-tem Speaker, supported by senior members including K Suresh (Congress), T R Baalu (DMK), Radha Mohan Singh, Faggan Singh Kulaste (both BJP), and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC).

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Who is Bhartruhari Mahtab?

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Mahtab made headlines by switching from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to BJP on March 28 this year. On the same day, former two-time BJD MP from Berhampur Sidhant Mohapatra and well-known Santali language litterateur Padma Shri Damayanti Beshra also joined the BJP.

In the recent elections, Mahtab secured victory from the Cuttack Parliamentary seat, defeating his closest competitor Santrupt Misra of the BJD by a substantial margin of over 57,000 votes. Previously, he represented the constituency six times under the BJD banner and now has secured a seventh term as a BJP candidate.

Mahtab garnered 5,31,601 votes, while Misra received 4,74,524 votes in the 2024 polls.

In the 2019 elections, Mahtab contested from the BJD and emerged victorious with a significant margin of over one lakh votes, defeating BJP’s Prakash Misra.

According to data compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Mahtab’s declared assets amount to Rs 19 crore. In the 2019 elections, his assets were valued at Rs nine crore.

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Mahtab is the son of Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, a two-time Chief Minister of Odisha, affectionately known as ‘Utkal Keshari’.

In 2017, Mahtab was honored with the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.

The appointment of Mahtab has sparked a significant controversy, with the Congress alleging that the traditional practice of appointing the most senior parliamentarian was disregarded.

KC Venugopal, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organisation, criticized the move as “another attempt to undermine Parliamentary norms.”

‘Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-term MP, has been appointed as the pro-tem Speaker, bypassing Kodikunnil Suresh, who is set to begin his eighth term. It has always been an established convention that the most senior MP oversees House proceedings until the Speaker is elected. Our party takes immense pride in K Suresh, a leader from a marginalized community, achieving the distinction of serving eight terms,’ Venugopal stated.

‘The government must clarify why K Suresh was overlooked and what criteria led to his disqualification from consideration for this role,’ Venugopal demanded.