Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha

Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha

Context: With the Opposition’s increased strength in Lok Sabha, its members are hoping to get the post of Deputy Speaker.

Constitutional Provision

• The Deputy Speaker serves as the Second-in-Command Presiding Officer of the Lok Sabha.
• Article 93 of the IC says that the House of the People (Lok Sabha) shall choose two members of the House to be, respectively, Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
• The Deputy Speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker. He is directly responsible to the House.
• He is entitled to a regular salary and allowance fixed by Parliament and charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
• Article 178 of the IC contains the corresponding provision for the Speakers and Deputy Speakers in the State Assemblies.

Historical Background

• The institutions of President (Speaker) and Deputy President (Deputy Speaker) originated in India in 1921, under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919.
• Before 1921, the Governor-General of India used to preside over the meetings of the Central Legislative Council.
• Frederick Whyte and Sachidanand Sinha were the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker, respectively.
• In 1925, Vithalbhai J. Patel became the first Indian and the first elected Speaker of the central legislative assembly.
• The Government of India Act of 1935 changed the nomenclatures of the President and Deputy President of the Central Legislative Assembly to the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively. However, the old nomenclature continued till 1947, as the federal part of the 1935 Act was not implemented.
• G.V. Mavlankar and Ananthasayanam Ayyangar became the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker (respectively) of the Lok Sabha.
• G.V. Mavlankar held the post of Speaker of Lok Sabha continuously for one decade from 1946 to 1956.

Has a Deputy Speaker ever filled in for the Speaker?

• In 1956, the first Speaker G V Mavalankar died before his term ended, leading to Deputy Speaker M Ananthasayanam Ayyangar filling in for the remaining year from 1956 to 1957 in the Lok Sabha.
• In 2002, Speaker of the 13th Lok Sabha G M C Balayogi died leaving Deputy Speaker P M Sayeed presiding over the House until Manohar Joshi was elected the Speaker.

Election of Deputy Speaker

• In the Lok Sabha, the election of Deputy Speaker is governed by Rule 8 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
• The Lok Sabha elects the deputy speaker from among its members by a simple majority of members present and voting.
• The election of the Deputy Speaker usually takes place in the second session, even though there is no bar on having this election in the first session of the new Lok Sabha or Assembly.
• He is elected after the election of the Speaker has taken place.
• The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker.
• The opposition held the post of deputy speaker continuously from 1990 through 2014.
• There was no Deputy Speaker for the entire duration of the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24) and during the 1997- 1998 government.
• The Constitution does not specify a time frame for making the appointments. This gap in the provision allows governments to delay or avoid appointing a Deputy Speaker.

Oath and affirmation of Deputy Speaker

• He/she takes no separate oath while assuming his/her office. Tenure of Deputy Speaker
• Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker remains in office usually during the life of the Lok Sabha (5 years).
• He may vacate his office earlier in any of the following three cases:
• If he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha;
• If he resigns by writing to the Speaker; and
• If he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice.
• When a resolution for the removal of the Deputy Speaker is under consideration of the House, he cannot preside at the sitting of the House, though he may be present.

Powers of Deputy Speaker

• The Deputy Speaker has the same general powers as the Speaker when he/she presides over the House.
• S/He performs the duties of the Speaker when he/she is absent or the post is vacant. In both cases, he assumes all the powers of the Speaker.
• S/He presides over the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament in case the Speaker is absent from such a sitting.
• While presiding over the House, s/he cannot vote in the first instance. He can only exercise a casting vote in the case of a tie.
• When the Speaker presides over the House, the Deputy Speaker is like any other ordinary member of the House.
• He can speak in the House, participate in its proceedings, and vote on any question before the House.
• He automatically becomes the chairperson of the parliamentary committees in which he is a member.