What's happening in the Parliament?

If our Hon'ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla were to resign, who would take their position temporarily? "Deputy Speaker, such an easy answer", you may have said while reading this. But it is interesting to note that while your answer may be partly true, it is in fact incorrect. For currently, the answer would be- There is no Deputy Speaker.

I was equally taken aback when I found out that the office of the Deputy Speaker, which has been mandated under Article 93 of our Constitution, is in fact vacant since 2019.

Digging a little deeper, it is found that this is not the first time that the post has been vacant. It has been so on multiple previous occasions. However, none encompassed an entire term of the Lok Sabha and beyond.

This is a first in Indian history where the Deputy Speaker’s post has remained empty for an entire term (2019–2024) and continues to be so even today.

While it is true that one may argue that the language of Article 93 does not mention a time frame or a time limit to appoint a Deputy Speaker:
"The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker..."

But being a law student, it still naturally makes me wonder- What are the legal repercussions of such a vacancy. More importantly, does the absence of a time limit permit the complete absence of a Deputy Speaker for so long?

It must be remembered that this office is not subordinate to the Speaker. The Deputy Speaker is not appointed by the Speaker, but elected by the House, just like the Speaker which shows that they are equals in appointment, not hierarchical. This vacancy raises severe questions on the spirit of a democracy, given that the post has conventionally been held by the members of the opposition- serving as a good reflection of the democratic spirit to respect and factor dissenting opinions.

While there shall remain two warring opinions-one that argues the vacancy is acceptable since it is not mandated to be filled within a specific time frame, and the other that takes a broader view of constitutional spirit and democratic norms-it will be interesting to see what unfolds next.


-Blog dated 12th June, 2025 is an original work of Gayatri Sawant (Student at Government Law College, Mumbai).

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