Veteran Politician to Oversee First Meeting of Newly Elected Parliament
In Short:
- Bhartruhari Mahtab named pro tem Speaker of Lok Sabha
- Mahtab, a seven-time MP, recently joined BJP from BJD
- He will oversee the first session and election of the new Speaker
Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seasoned politician and seven-time Member of Parliament, has been appointed as the pro tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The announcement was made on Thursday by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
As pro tem Speaker, Mahtab will preside over the first meeting of the Lower House of Parliament following the general elections. He will also oversee the session in which the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected, provided it is a newly constituted House.
Bhartruhari Mahtab's selection comes after the BJP's strong performance in the recent Odisha elections. Mahtab, who recently switched allegiance from Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal (BJD) to the BJP, has a long political history. He is the son of Harekrushna Mahtab, a former Chief Minister of Odisha.
Earlier this year, Mahtab resigned from the BJD, citing a lack of activity within the party. Shortly after, he joined the BJP, along with former BJD MP Sidhant Mohapatra and Padma Shri awardee Damayanti Beshra.
Representing the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat since 1998, Mahtab has been a prominent political figure. In the recent elections, he won the seat for the seventh time, this time as a BJP candidate, defeating BJD’s Santrupt Misra by over 57,000 votes.
The BJP's victory in Odisha marked a significant shift in the state's political landscape, ending Naveen Patnaik's 24-year dominance. The BJP secured 78 seats, surpassing the majority mark and forming the state government. The BJD won 51 seats, while the Congress and CPI(M) secured 14 and one seat respectively.
In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP claimed victory in 20 out of 21 seats, with the Congress winning the remaining seat.