Parliamentary System of India: Influenced by British system

India’s parliamentary system is based on the British system, known as the Westminster form of government. This system consists of two houses: the upper house and the lower house. Directly elected Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom are members of the House of Commons, known as MPs or Commoners. The upper house i.e. the House of Lords consists of indirectly elected members, who have achieved outstanding achievements in various walks of life or are known for meritorious services.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, where the king or queen is the symbolic head and does not directly interfere in the country’s affairs. All decisions are taken by the Prime Minister and his cabinet. In contrast, India is a republic, headed by an elected President. Although the president is not directly elected, he is elected by members of parliament and state assemblies.

The position of Speaker in the UK is very important, as the Speaker is expected to make decisions impartially. Traditionally in the UK, the Speaker is appointed as a backbencher, a junior MP sitting in the back row, so that he can carry out his duties uncontroversially. At the time of the election of the Speaker, the candidate for this position is almost forced to the chair, as it is a very difficult task to carry out.

18th Lok Sabha Elections in India

The 18th Lok Sabha Elections witnessed an upheaval and bitterness, which was never seen before. The Lok Sabha results proved that India’s political temperature will remain high. As soon as the new Lok Sabha came into existence, it was realized that every step, every step, and every decision would be heavily politicized. Swords were drawn between the opposition and the ruling coalition.

The first phase was that of Protem Speaker, in which a seven-time BJP MP was appointed as the Protem Speaker. The opposition called this appointment against the traditions of the past. The function of the pro tem speaker is only to administer oath to the newly elected members of parliament. Now the politics of the country is focused on the election of the speaker. The ruling party says that being the largest party, the post of speaker is their right, while the opposition is insisting on the election of the speaker by consensus and the appointment of one of its leaders as the deputy speaker.

Role and Importance of Speaker

The proceedings of the Parliament, the formation of committees of various ministries, and the discretionary decisions of the Speaker during the parliamentary session affect the performance of the government. In the last Lok Sabha, the government took several decisions ignoring the opposition, which the opposition was unhappy about. The opposition leaders alleged that the voice of the opposition was suppressed by ignoring the rules of the parliament.

Election of Speaker in the new Lok Sabha

There is a huge scramble for the post of Speaker in the new Lok Sabha. Since the BJP does not have an absolute majority in the House, it will need various office bearers who can come in handy in tough times. The Speaker’s decisions are important in making and breaking the government, and that is why the position of the Speaker has become so important at this time.

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