Overview

• On June 10, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to launch the election process for the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker.
• Article 93 of the Constitution requires the prompt election of a Deputy Speaker, but the government has not explained why the process remains stalled.
• For the first time in independent India, the Deputy Speaker post has been vacant through consecutive 17th and 18th Lok Sabha terms.
• By convention, the Deputy Speaker is chosen from the principal opposition party to maintain balance in parliamentary proceedings.
• Kharge’s appeal gains urgency as the Monsoon Session, starting July 21, approaches with the crucial post still unfilled.