7-time MP Mahtab is new pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-time MP, as the pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The appointment—effective under Article 95(1) of the Constitution—will last until a new speaker is elected during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, scheduled from June 24 to July 3. Mahtab won his seat in Cuttack for the seventh time in 2024 as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate after resigning from the Biju Dal due to dissatisfaction with its functioning.
Pro-tem speaker incharge until Speaker elected
Since the Speaker has to be elected by a simple majority in the House, until then, a pro-tem Speaker is chosen to perform the Speaker's duties, including the oath-taking of MPs. The word "pro-tem" means "for the time being" or "temporarily." The "pro-tem" post is not mentioned in the Constitution.
Role, duties of the pro-tem speaker
The role of a pro-tem speaker, however, is detailed in the Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. The handbook says that when the Speaker post falls vacant before a new Lok Sabha convenes, "the duties of the Speaker are to be performed by a Member of the House appointed for this purpose by the President as Speaker pro-tem."
