SC to examine plea on non-election of deputy speaker in LS, state assemblies

Non-election of deputy speaker of Lok Sabha and the legislative Assemblies goes against the healthy democratic functioning, the PIL said

The Supreme Court on Monday decided to consider a PIL questioning the non-fulfilment of the post of deputy speaker in Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand.

“Non-election of deputy speaker of Lok Sabha and the legislative Assemblies goes against the healthy democratic functioning. Though there is no statutory requirement, however, a healthy tradition has developed over time that the ruling party elects the Speaker while the deputy Speaker post is given to the Opposition,” the PIL said.

Read | 'Make sure whatever expected is done', SC on appointment of judges

A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala sought assistance from Attorney General R Venkataramani after hearing brief submissions from senior advocate Vibha Datta Makhija on behalf of Shariq Ahmed, a Delhi-based advocate who filed the PIL.

The plea pointed out that the present 17th Lok Sabha was constituted in May 2019 and Om Birla was chosen as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, who assumed office on June 19, 2019, but no deputy speaker has been elected since then.

Despite the lapse of more than three and a half years since the constitution of the present Lok Sabha, the post of deputy speaker has been lying vacant in violation of Articles 93 to 96 of the Constitution.

“Similarly, the post of deputy speaker of the legislative Assemblies of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are also vacant, though the legislative Assemblies in those states have been constituted long back,” it contended.