BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): There has not been any Deputy Speaker in the House for the past four years because of wrangle between the ruling party and opposition over the post.
During the rule of the Kamal Nath-led government, Hina Kawre was the Deputy Speaker.
When the BJP returned to power by ousting the Congress government in 2020, election of Deputy Speaker was not held. Nath had done away with the tradition of giving the post to the opposition and elected his own party leader Kawre to the post.
When the BJP came to power, there was a dilemma over whether the ruling party should keep the position or give it to the opposition. Because of this dilemma, the House did not get a Deputy Speaker for three and a half years.
Although the BJP formed the government, there was no discussion about the election of the Deputy Speaker during the past two sessions of the House.
The monsoon session is going to start from July 1, but the chances of election of a Deputy Speaker appear dim.
The then chief minister Sunderlal Patwa started the tradition of giving the post of Deputy Speaker to the opposition from 1990, and Shriniwas Tiwari of the Congress was elected to the post.
When Digvijaya Singh became the chief minister, he also maintained the tradition by giving the post of Deputy Speaker to the opposition.
When the BJP was in power from 2003 to 2018, the post of Deputy Speaker was given to the opposition.
Since Nath appointed Deputy Speaker of his own party, the issue has become tricky.
This is the reason why, there has not been any Deputy Speaker in the House during the past four years.
