As the new Modi Government takes oath today, speculations over the next Lok Sabha speaker have also started. Sumitra Mahajan leaves the post after a successful term in the 16th Lok Sabha after she had pulled back from contesting in the General elections. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is one of the most prestigious positions in the Parliament, the Speaker is the highest authority in the House and also the custodian of the Parliament building.
Sumitra Mahajan, had announced her decision to not fight the Lok Sabha polls given BJP’s party policy of restricting the age of its candidates. This was also Sumitra Mahajan’s eighth term as a parliamentarian. Several names of senior parliamentarians are making rounds to replace Sumitra Mahajan include
Santosh Gangwar was elected for the first time to the 9th Lok Sabha in 1989 from the Bareilly constituency. He represented that constituency continuously until 2009 as a BJP Member of Parliament, which involved six successive terms. He faced defeat in the 15th Lok Sabha Elections, 2009 by a very narrow margin. He has been elected as Member of Parliament in 16th Lok Sabha. He won by a margin of over 2.4 lakh votes over his rival candidate in 2014 general election. Santosh Gangwar is also the Minister of state with independent charge in the Ministry of labor and Employment in the outgoing Government of India. Santosh Gangwar comes to the table with decades of experience in the Parliament and also with experience as Minister of state-additional charge of Parliamentary affairs in the 13th Lok Sabha.
Pralhad Joshi is representing the Dharwad constituency in Karnataka. He is also part of the pool (as of 2014) which helps Lok Sabha Speaker by chairing the house proceedings when both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are not present. With the performance, BJP in Karnataka and counting in the political experience of Prahalad Joshi can be elected to the prestigious post.
Senior leader from Madhya Pradesh, Narendra Singh Tomar is also the current outgoing Minister of Rural Development, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Panchayati Raj and Mines in the Government of India. With the experience as Parliamentary affairs minister, Narendra Singh Tomar can emerge as a favorable candidate for the prestigious post. Narendra Singh Tomar currently represents the Morena parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh.
Representing the Damoh Parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh, 4 term member of parliament, Prahlad Patel was first elected to 9th Lok Sabha in 1989 and again re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha in 1996 (2nd term), 13th Lok Sabha in 1999 (3rd term), 16th Lok Sabha in 2014 (4th term). He has been reelected from Damoh by beating the congress candidate by a margin of more than 3.5 Lakhs this general election. Prahlad Patel with his popular support and decades long experience as a parliamentarian can also emerge as a suitable choice for the 17th Lok Sabha
According to sources the election for the speaker is expected to be held on 10th June, After President Ramnath Kovind has addressed the joint sitting of the two houses of parliament on 2nd June. A pro tem speaker will also be appointed on 2nd of June who will administer the oath of office to all the newly elected MP’s.
