Question

Do you think the Speaker of the Lok Sabha can remain completely impartial despite belonging to a political party? Discuss with reasons and examples.

Answer 1

Yes, the Speaker can remain impartial, but retaining political party membership makes absolute neutrality difficult in practice.

• Reasons and Examples Supporting Impartiality:
  1. Constitutional Independence: The Constitution ensures security of tenure and draws the Speaker’s salary from the Consolidated Fund of India to prevent government pressure.
  2. Restricted Voting Power: Under Article 100, the Speaker does not vote in the first instance. They only cast a single vote to break an exact tie, maintaining structural neutrality.
  3. Example of Party Resignation: In 1967, Speaker Neelam Sanjiva Reddy formally resigned from the Congress Party upon election to preserve the absolute dignity and neutrality of the chair.
  4. Example of Institutional Loyalty: In 2008, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee refused his party’s (CPI-M) instruction to resign during a no-confidence motion, declaring that the Speaker belongs to the whole House and not to a political party.
• Reasons and Examples Challenging Impartiality:
  1. Active Party Membership: Unlike Great Britain, Indian Speakers do not legally resign from their political party. They remain dependent on their party for future election tickets and political careers.
  2. Anti-Defection Arbitrator: Under the Tenth Schedule, the Speaker has the sole power to disqualify defecting MPs. This power is often used selectively to protect the ruling government’s majority.
  3. Absolute Discretion over Money Bills: Under Article 110, the Speaker’s certification of a Money Bill is final. This has been used to fast-track controversial laws and bypass the Rajya Sabha.
  4. Example of Disputed Certification: Speaker Sumitra Mahajan certified the Aadhaar Bill as a Money Bill, which faced heavy opposition criticism for being a partisan decision to bypass voting in the Rajya Sabha.