‘Destroying Parliamentary norms’, says Congress after Bhartruhari Mahtab appointed pro-tem Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha

Seven-term parliamentarian and BJP leader was on June 20 appointed of the Lok Sabha, deviating from the largely followed convention of appointing the senior most member of the House to the post, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition Congress.

The primary job of the is to administer the oath to the newly- elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha and preside over the Lower House till the election of the Speaker.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister announced that President has appointed Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker and that he will be assisted by senior members K Suresh (Congress), T R Baalu (DMK), Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Singh Kulaste (both BJP) and Sudip Bandyopadhyay (TMC).

Shortly after Rijiju's announcement, the Congress accused the -led government of "destroying parliamentary norms" by ignoring the claim of Suresh, an eight-term Lok Sabha member, to the post of the pro-tem Speaker.

"In yet another attempt at destroying parliamentary norms, Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-term MP, has been appointed the pro-tem Speaker, superseding Kodikunnil Suresh, who will be entering his eighth term," AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in a post on X.

Congress leader Manickam Tagore, in a post on X, said, “First mistake as Parliamentary Affairs Minister: 7-term BJP MP chosen as Protem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikunnil Suresh of Congress."

The BJP said the Congress should "relax" as the grand old party has lost the Lok Sabha elections. "You have just lost an election. Relax. Reflect on third consecutive defeat, instead of whining about everything," BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said on X.

Mahtab, who switched sides from the BJD to the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, won the Cuttack parliamentary seat.

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