Election of Lok Sabha Speaker: What are the provisions under the Constitution?

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 25, 2024 14:27 IST

Article 93 of the Constitution provides for the election of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Article 93 says: “The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof” and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.

WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA?

The Constitution of India under Article 94 mandates that the Speaker must be a member of the House. While there are no specific qualifications required for a member to stand for the election as the Speaker, a thorough understanding of the Constitution and the country's laws is highly valued for this role.

Typically, a member from the ruling party is chosen as Speaker. Over time, a process has developed in which the ruling party nominates a candidate after informal discussions with leaders of other parties and groups in the House. This practice helps ensure that, once elected, the Speaker earns the respect of all sections of the House.

Once a decision on the candidate is taken, his/her name is normally proposed by the Prime Minister or the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

HOW IS THE SPEAKER ELECTED?

The Speaker (along with the Deputy Speaker) is elected from amongst the Lok Sabha members “by a simple majority of members present and voting” in the House.

CAN THE SPEAKER BE REMOVED?

Article 94 says that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha can be removed from his/ her office by a resolution passed by a majority of all current members of the House of the People. However, a resolution to remove the Speaker or Deputy Speaker can only be proposed if at least 14 days' notice has been given about the intention to move the resolution.