• The Lok Sabha elected NDA candidate Om Birla as its Speaker through a voice vote on June 26.

• Birla has been elected as the Speaker of the Lower House of the Parliament for the second term in a row.

• Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab made the announcement after the opposition, which had forwarded the name of eight-term Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, did not press for votes to the motion.

• With the NDA having 293 MPs in its kitty and the INDIA bloc 233 in the Lok Sabha, the numbers were clearly in favour of Birla.

• Birla, 62, is an MP from Rajasthan’s Kota Lok Sabha constituency. He was first elected as an MP in 2014.

• After 1952, 1967, and 1976, this was the fourth time the Speaker was elected by way of an election.

• After Balram Jakhar in 1985, Birla became the first Speaker to get re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker.

• Balram Jakhar is the only Speaker to have served two complete terms extending seventh and eighth Lok Sabha.

How are the Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected?

• Article 93 of the Constitution mandates the Lok Sabha to elect two members as Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

• The President sets the date for the Speaker’s election.

• Except for the years 1952, 1967, and 1976, all Speakers in independent India have been elected unopposed.

• The Speaker decides the date for the Deputy Speaker’s election.

Powers of the Speaker:

• The Speaker is the Principal Presiding Officer of the Lok Sabha. 

• He/she is chosen by the House from among its members by a simple majority of members present and voting.

• Within the walls of the House his/her authority is supreme, which is based on his absolute and unvarying impartiality.

• The Speaker represents the collective voice of the House. The Speaker enjoys vast authority and powers, under the Constitution and the Rules, as well as inherently. 

• The Speaker is the guardian of the rights and privileges of the House, its Committees and the members. 

• The Speaker is also the ultimate arbiter and interpreter of all those provisions which relate to the functioning of the House. For this, the Speaker is invested with wide disciplinary powers under the Rules. 

• The Speaker’s conduct cannot be discussed except on a substantive motion.

• The Speaker decides on the admissibility of notices of questions, motions, resolutions, Bills, amendments, etc and no business may be brought up before the House without Speaker’s consent. 

• The Speaker regulates the debates and proceedings of the House and is charged with the maintenance of order in the House. 

• The Speaker enforces the observance of rules by the members and may direct any member guilty of disorderly conduct to withdraw from the House and name him for wilful disregard of the authority of the Chair or obstruction of the proceedings. 

• The Speaker may also adjourn or suspend the business of the House in case of grave disorder. 

• The Speaker also determines the question as to whether the members of the House have become subject to disqualification on ground of defection in terms of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution.

• All the Committees of the House function under the overall control and direction of the Speaker. 

• The Speaker nominates their Chairmen and issues such directions as may be considered necessary pertaining to the procedure to be followed in the Committees. 

• The Business Advisory Committee, the General Purposes Committee and the Rules Committee work directly under the Speaker’s Chairmanship.

• The Speaker enjoys a special position insofar as the relations between the two Houses of Parliament in certain matters are concerned. 

• The Speaker certifies the Money Bills and has the final say on money matters. 

• The Speaker presides over the joint sitting called in the event of a disagreement between the two Houses on a legislative measure. 

• Though a member of the Lok Sabha, the Speaker does not vote in the House except on those rare occasions when there is a tie at the end of a decision.

Removal of the Speaker:

• The Constitution empowers the Lok Sabha to remove the Speaker if necessary.

• Removal requires a resolution with 14 days’ notice, passed by an effective majority (more than 50 per cent of the effective strength of the house present and voting) as per Article 94.

• The Speaker can be removed if disqualified from being a Lok Sabha member under sections 7 and 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

• The Speaker can also resign by submitting a resignation to the Deputy Speaker.

Sources of power and duties of the Speaker:

• Constitution of India

• Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha

• Parliamentary Conventions (unwritten or unspecified residual powers).

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)