What is the controversy? B Mahtab appointed as Protem Speaker

Описание: The first session of the Parliament following the 18th Lok Sabha elections commenced today with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bhartruhari Mahtab being sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu. Mahtab’s appointment has drawn criticism from the Opposition who feel the move deviates from tradition.
Mahtab will now administer the oath to Prime Minister Modi and approximately 280 newly elected MPs today. The remaining MPs, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, will take their oaths as members of the Lok Sabha tomorrow. The pro-tem Speaker, appointed by the President, plays a crucial role in administering oaths to new MPs and overseeing House proceedings until a permanent Speaker is elected.According to Article 94 of the Constitution, the Speaker’s office becomes vacant before the first meeting of the new Lok Sabha, necessitating the appointment of a pro-tem Speaker.
The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. Until then, the pro-tem Speaker will oversee the initial sessions and conduct the election for the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The Speaker will be elected by a simple majority, a process the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to dominate.
In the 17th Lok Sabha, Virendra Kumar served as the pro-tem Speaker, appointed by then-President Ram Nath Kovind.Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seasoned politician from Odisha, has been a member of the Lok Sabha since 1998. He is the son of late Harekrushna Mahatab, a two-time Chief Minister of Odisha. Initially a member of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Mahtab switched to the BJP in March 2024. He has been re-elected from the Cuttack constituency multiple times. The appointment of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker has sparked a dispute between the ruling NDA and the Opposition's INDIA bloc. The Opposition, particularly the Congress party, has criticised the selection of Mahtab, arguing that it deviates from the tradition of appointing the senior-most MP. They pointed out that K Suresh, an eight-term member and a Dalit leader, was overlooked for the post.
“Kodikunnil Suresh of the INC, who is in his eighth term, should have been Speaker pro-tem. But Bhartruhari Mahtab of the BJP has been appointed on the flimsy grounds that he has a greater claim because this is his seventh consecutive term.”