No deputy speaker in eight state assemblies; post vacant in Jharkhand for over 20 years

New Delhi: Lok Sabha and eight states have no deputy speakers and Jharkhand keeps the post mandated by the Constitution vacant for the longest period of 20 years and two months.

A report by PRS Legislative Research has shown that the states -- Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh -- have not filled the post for a period between five months and over 20 years.

There is no deputy speaker in Lok Sabha since June 2019 or from the second term of Narendra Modi. In the third term also, there is no movement on electing a deputy speaker.

Article 93 of the Constitution mandates the election of a Speaker and deputy speaker in Lok Sabha. In case the Speaker chooses to resign, he sends in his letter to the deputy speaker. For Assemblies, the Article governing the Speaker and his deputy is 178.

"The Constitution assigns some key functions to the Deputy Speaker. He officiates as the Speaker in case of a vacancy (due to death or resignation of the Speaker). He also receives notice of no-confidence motion against the Speaker and presides over the discussion on that motion," the report said.

Jharkhand had a deputy speaker last on 6 March, 2005 when Saba Ahmed occupied the post. He succeeded Bagun Sumbrai, who was the first deputy speaker from 24 August, 2002 to 29 May, 2004.

Rajasthan does not have a deputy speaker for the past six years and three months, including from the previous Congress regime, while Madhya Pradesh too did not have one for the past five years and two months, with BJP in power. BJP-ruled Uttarakhand has not filled the post for the past three years and three months.

"The previous Uttar Pradesh Assembly elected a deputy speaker in its last session. The current Assembly, three years into its term, has not yet elected one," the PRS report said. Congress-led Telangana and BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh have also not elected a Deputy Speaker since it assumed power one year and four months ago.

Jammu and Kashmir, which went to Assembly polls after a long gap in September-October, has also not chosen a deputy speaker in the past six months.

Last June, Opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc fielded Congress' Kodikkunnil Suresh for the post of Speaker against Om Birla, saying it was doing so “to protect” the convention of the Opposition having Deputy Speaker chair.

During the Budget Session, the bloc also petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla pointing fingers at the Modi government over “certain disturbing trends” of disregard for Parliamentary procedures, including failure to elect a deputy speaker since 2019.

State / Years Without Deputy Speaker

• Jharkhand: 20 years 2 months

• Rajasthan: 6 years 3 months

• Madhya Pradesh: 5 years 2 months

• Uttarakhand: 3 years 3 months

• Uttar Pradesh: 3 years 2 months

• Chhattisgarh: 1 year 4 months

• Telangana: 1 year 4 months

• Jammu and Kashmir: 5 months

Source: PRS Legislative Research