New Delhi: Seven-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been appointed as the Protem Speaker. By convention, the senior most member of parliament is made protem speaker until a regular speaker is appointed.

The announcement was made by Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju in a post on X (Twitter).

"President is pleased to appoint Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Member, Lok Sabha as Speaker Protem under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of Speaker till the election of the Speaker," Rijiju wrote on X (Twitter).

"President is also pleased to appoint Shri Suresh Kodikunnil, Shri Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste and Shri Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Members of Lok Sabha under Article 99 of the Constitution to assist Speaker Protem in Oath/Affirmation to newly elected Members of 18th Lok Sabha till election of the Speaker," Rijiju posted on X.

Mahtab, a seven-time MP from Odisha's Cuttack, was a Biju Janata Dal heavyweight before he shifted his loyalty to the BJP before the 2024 general election.

The Congress party has criticised the announcement. "By convention, the MP who has served the maximum terms is appointed Speaker Protem for the first two days when oath is administered to all newly elected MPs. The seniormost MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha are Kodikunnil Suresh (INC) and Virendra Kumar (BJP), both of who are now serving their 8th term. The latter is now a Union Minister and hence it was expected that Kodikunnil Suresh would be the Speaker Protem. Instead, a 7-term MP, Bhartruhari Mahtab has been appointed Speaker Protem. He was a BJD MP for 6 terms and is now a BJP MP," wrote Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in an X (Twitter) post.

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