The importance of being the Speaker

Constitutional reform that guarantees the independence of the office– and removes some of its contentious roles – is of utmost importance to ensure the sanctity of parliamentary democracy.In the 2024 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its majority and has since returned to power at the head of a coalition government. With a newly strengthened and emboldened Opposition, it is anticipated that Parliament might see livelier debates and discussions than it has for the last decade when the BJP enjoyed a simple majority on its own. In this context, the first issue that is on everyone’s radar is the election of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, which is due to take place on the 26th of June. Opposition leader Aditya Thackeray has publicly warned the BJP’s coalition allies to ensure the election of a non-partisan Speaker, or risk being “broken up” by the BJP in due course.