Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MlA from Gokalpur Choudhury Fateh Singh will be pro-tem Speaker of the sixth Delhi legislative Assembly. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly approved name of Fateh Singh, who is the senior most member in the House, for pro-tem Speaker. Choudhury Fateh Singh was the member of the first Delhi legislative Assembly in 1993. He was elected to the first assembly from Nand Nagari assembly seat on BJP ticket.
The first session of the newly elected Delhi Assembly will begin from on February 23. On the first day, the pro-tem speaker will administer oath to the newly elected MlAs. Election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker will take place on February 24. AAP MlA from Shahdara Ram Niwas Goel is likely to be Speaker and party’s MlA from the Shalimar Bagh Bandana Kumari Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. In 2014, Congress MlA Choudhury Mateen Ahmed was Pro-tem Speaker.
According to former Secretary of Delhi Assembly SK Sharma, pro-tem Speaker performs the duties of the office of the Speaker from the commencement of the sitting of the House till the election of the Speaker. Under normal circumstances, a pro tem Speaker is sworn in by the President. The powers of the pro tem Speaker are not defined. But the pro tem Speaker does not surely have as much power as the permanent Speaker has.
“As soon as the new Government is formed, the legislative Section of Delhi Assembly prepares a list of the senior most Assembly members. The list is then submitted to the Chief Minister for the appointment of Pro- tem Speaker. Thereafter, a note is to be submitted to the President of India seeking his approval to the appointment of the pro tem Speaker,” he said.