List of Speakers of Lok Sabha of India

List of Speakers of Lok Sabha of India

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected under Article 93 of the Indian Constitution. The Speaker is the head of the Lok Sabha and its representative. He is the principal spokesman of the House, and his decision in all parliamentary matters is final. He is the guardian of the powers and privileges of the members, the House as a whole and its committees. His work and conduct cannot be discussed and criticised in the Lok Sabha except on a substantive motion. He is given a very high position in the order of precedence. He is placed at sixth rank, along with the Chief Justice of India. This means, he has a higher rank than all cabinet ministers, except the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.

There have been 17 Speakers of the Lok Sabha of India. Refer to the table given below to learn about the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1952 to 2022.

Election and Tenure

The speaker of the Lok Sabha is generally elected in the first meeting of the Lok Sabha after the election of the Lok Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha elect the Speaker from among themselves. The Speaker is elected by a simple majority of members present and voting in the Lok Sabha. No specific qualifications are prescribed in the Constitution for being elected Speaker. The only qualification is that the Speaker should be a member of the Lok Sabha.

Generally, the Speaker remains in office during the life of the Lok Sabha, but his office may terminate earlier in any of the following ways:

• if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha.
• if he resigns by writing to the Deputy Speaker.
• if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice. This motion of removal can be considered and discussed only when it has the support of at least 50 members.

Whenever the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker does not vacate his office and continues till the newly-elected Lok Sabha meets.

Powers and Functions

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha derives his powers and duties from three sources. These sources are the Constitution of India, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Lok Sabha, and Parliamentary Conventions. Some of the powers and functions of the speaker are given below:

• The basic function of the Speaker is to preside over the House and conduct the meetings of the House in an orderly manner. No member can speak in the House without his permission. He may ask a member to finish his speech and, in case the member does not obey, he may order that the speech should not be recorded.
• He is the final interpreter of the provisions of (a) the Constitution of India, (b) the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha, and (c) the parliamentary precedents, within the House. His decisions in all parliamentary matters are final.
• All the Bills, reports, motions and resolutions are introduced with Speaker’s permission. He puts the motion or bill to vote. He does not vote in the first instance. But he can exercise a casting vote in the case of a tie. Such a vote is called a decisive vote, and its purpose is to resolve a deadlock.
• He adjourns the House or suspends the meeting in the absence of a quorum. The quorum to constitute a meeting of the House is one-tenth of the total strength of the House.
• He can allow a ‘secret’ sitting of the House at the request of the Leader of the House. When the House sits in secret, no stranger can be present in the chamber, lobby or galleries except with the permission of the Speaker.
• In case of a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the Speaker presides over the meeting. Such a sitting is summoned by the President to settle a deadlock between the two Houses on a bill.
• He can disqualify a member of Lok Sabha from his membership in case of defection. In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled that the decision of the Speaker in this regard is subject to judicial review. He also accepts the resignation of members of Lok Sabha.
• He decides whether a bill is a money bill or not, and his decision is final.
• His powers of regulating procedure or conducting business or maintaining order in the House are not subject to the jurisdiction of any Court.
• He also acts as the ex-officio chairman of the conference of presiding officers of legislative bodies in the country.
• The chairman of all the parliamentary committees of the Lok Sabha is appointed by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He also supervises their functioning.
• He is also the chairman of the Business Advisory Committee, the Rules Committee, and the General-Purpose Committee.

Some Important Facts about the Speakers of the Lok Sabha

Some important facts related to the Speakers of the Lok Sabha of India are given below:

• Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• Madabhushi Ananthasayanam Ayyangar was the second Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He was first Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha.
• Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was only Speaker of Lok Sabha who later became the President of India. He served as Speaker of the Lok Sabha two times. He was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha who also served as Chief Minister of State.
• Kowdoor Sadananda Hegde was an Indian jurist and politician who served as a judge in the Supreme Court of India and later as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• Balram Jakhar was the longest serving Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• Purno Agitok Sangma was the second Speaker of the Lok Sabha who also served as Chief Minister of State.
• Meira Kumar is the first female Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• Sumitra Mahajan is the second female Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

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