Constitutional Basis
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Article 93: Mandates the Lok Sabha to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker “as soon as may be.”
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Ambiguity: No specific timeline provided, leading to prolonged vacancies (e.g., 17th Lok Sabha without a Deputy Speaker since 2019).
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Legal Gap: Rules of Procedure in Lok Sabha lack enforceable deadlines for elections.
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Historical Context
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Origin: Introduced under the Government of India Act, 1919 (as “Deputy President”).
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Post-Independence Convention:
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First Deputy Speaker (Ananthasayanam Ayyangar) hailed from the Opposition.
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Bipartisanship: Tradition of offering the post to Opposition to ensure institutional balance.
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Roles & Responsibilities
The Deputy Speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker but accountable to the House:
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Presides over Lok Sabha in the Speaker’s absence.
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Chairs parliamentary committees (e.g., Business Advisory Committee).
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Casts deciding vote in case of a tie.
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Maintains parliamentary decorum and procedural integrity.
Implications of Prolonged Vacancy
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Centralization of Power: Speaker (typically from ruling party) wields unchecked authority.
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Undermines Opposition: Denies Opposition a constitutional platform, weakening deliberative democracy.
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Procedural Risks: Leadership vacuum if Speaker is incapacitated (e.g., resignation, illness).
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Erosion of Conventions: Breaks bipartisan tradition, reflecting politicization of constitutional offices.
Global Comparisons
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UK & Canada: Deputy Speaker elected promptly, often from Opposition, ensuring continuity.
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Westminster Systems: Emphasize bipartisan consensus and institutional checks.
Reform Proposals
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Statutory Timeline: Amend rules to mandate election within 60 days of Lok Sabha’s first session.
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Judicial Intervention: Supreme Court (petition pending since 2021) could enforce constitutional morality.
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Codify Conventions: Legally embed the tradition of offering Deputy Speakership to Opposition.
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Presidential Oversight: Empower President to remind Parliament of constitutional obligations.
Key Challenges
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Legal vs. Moral Obligation: While delay isn’t illegal, it violates constitutional spirit.
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Political Reluctance: Ruling parties may avoid ceding institutional space to Opposition.
Way Forward: Immediate election of Deputy Speaker, backed by legal reforms and judicial clarity, is essential to safeguard India’s democratic ethos and constitutional integrity.
Conclusion
The Deputy Speaker’s vacancy reflects systemic erosion of constitutional morality and institutional balance.
Restoring this role is critical to:
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Uphold parliamentary democracy’s checks and balances.
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Preserve bipartisan traditions.
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Ensure procedural continuity and Opposition representation.
