AHEAD OF FIRST LOK SABHA SESSION - Govt, Oppn face-off on Pro-tem Speaker issue

As the first session of the newly elected 18th Lok Sabha is all set to begin from June 24, the appointment of the Pro-tem Speaker has emerged as a source of friction between the government and the Opposition.

- VINAY KUMAR

After slamming the BJP-led NDA government for ignoring the claim of the eight term Lok Sabha MP from Kerala Kodikunnil Suresh for the position of the Pro-tem Speaker, the Opposition INDIA bloc is most likely to spurn the role assigned to K Suresh and two other Opposition MPs - T R Baalu of DMK and Sudip Bandyopadhyay of TMC - to assist the Pro-tem Speaker B. Mahtab of BJP in administering the oath to the new members.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused the Congress of resorting to lies and the Opposition threatening to refuse to join the panel of chairpersons in the House.

President Droupadi Murmu had appointed BJP leader and seven-term member Bhartruhari Mahtab as the Pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha, who is tasked with administering the oath and affirmation to the newly-elected members of the Lok Sabha and preside over the election of the Speaker.