Modi 3.0: Tustle Between Allies JD(U) & TDP For Speaker Position In NDA Government. After the swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet for the newly formed NDA coalition government following the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, it remains to be seen who will be the speaker. Both the JD(U) and the TDP are after the significant position.
Sources say the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not willing to part with the Speaker position to its allies. It already faced the challenge of negotiating and finalizing ministerial positions with the respective ally parties. Moreover, the BJP is wary that either party, the JD(U) and TDP, will bring up talks for the Speaker position again. Earlier, Chandrababu Naidu had up stance that the Telugu Desam Party would take up the Speaker position.
Now word is that Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) is also very keen for it.
Why is the Position of Speaker So Important?
India inherited the position of the Speaker from the British parliamentary tradition in 1377. In the Lok Sabha, the Speaker is an elected Member of Lok sabha elected by all other members in a secret ballot. The Speaker’s position, according to the Indian Constitution, becomes vacant just when the new Lok Sabha meets for the first time. BJP’s Om Birla was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2019-2024.
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The Speaker plays a significant role in the parliament. He or she controls the flow of House business and acts like a referee during debates. They have to ensure the proper working of the House. Let’s look at the United States as an example. The US lacked a Speaker at the beginning of 2023. As such, the House wasn’t able to carry out its responsibilities for oversight of the federal government. The US House of Representatives, without a Speaker, becomes useless. This is because its members cannot be sworn in until a Speaker is chosen.
Moreover, lawmakers cannot respond to an emergency or a crisis. Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, explained that they if there’s a real emergency, they cannot respond. The House, as per the US law, must elect a Speaker before lawmakers take any other action.
But in the case of India, its different. The prime minister and the cabinet of ministers are sworn-in then before the Lok Sabha starts, the Speaker is elected.
Why Do the JD(U) and TDP Want the Speaker Position?
Both parties are vying for the Speaker position because they consider it as ‘insurance’. Chakshu Roy, head of civic and legislative research engagements at PRS Legislative Research, believes the Speaker’s position is one of the most prestigious posts at the heart of India’s legislation-making body.
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He explained that Speakers have to be non-partisan and are members of a political party. They have the power to make and break governments, thus the significant role. Another sore point for the opposition, over the years, has been the non-election of a Deputy Speaker.
The Lok Sabha, according to Article 93 of the Constitution, shall choose two members to be Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Roy said the office of the deputy Speaker is a constitutional requirement. But between 2019 and 2024, the Indian Parliament had no deputy Speaker. Even some of the state governments, like the Rajasthan Assembly and Jharkhand, failed to have a Deputy Speaker.
