Lok Sabha MP Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed as the pro-tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, under Article 95(1) of the Constitution.
The newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha will convene for their first session from June 24 to July 3, during which a new Speaker will be elected. Until then, the pro-tem Speaker will handle essential duties, as ‘pro-tem’ signifies a temporary appointment.
Mahtab, who has represented Cuttack since 1998 on a BJD ticket six times, left the party due to dissatisfaction with its functioning and joined BJP before the recent Lok Sabha elections. He won Cuttack again in 2024 as a BJP candidate, defeating BJD’s Santrupt Misra. Mahtab is also the son of Odisha’s first chief minister, Harekrushna Mahtab.
While the Constitution does not explicitly mention the role of a pro-tem Speaker, the ‘Handbook on the Working of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs outlines the ‘Appointment and Swearing in of Speaker pro tem.’ It states that when the Speaker’s post is vacant before a new Lok Sabha, a Member appointed by the President will fulfil the Speaker’s duties temporarily.
The primary duty of the pro-tem Speaker is to administer oaths to the new MPs. According to Article 99 of the Constitution, “Every Member of the House shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the President or some person appointed in that behalf by him, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule of the Constitution.”
