Members of Lok Sabha

In India’s bicameral Parliament, the Lower House is called the Lok Sabha or House of People. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected by the people directly, and that’s why it is called the House of People. According to the Indian Constitution, the total strength of the House of People or the Lok Sabha is 552 seats. Out of 552 seats, states are represented by 530 elected members, and Union Territories are represented by 20 elected members. The Honourable President nominates the remaining 2 members who belong to the Anglo-Indian community if the President feels that there is not enough representation in the House for this particular community.

History

On 17 April 1952, after the first general elections held between 25 October 1951 and 21 February 1952, the First Lok Sabha (House of People) was constituted. On 13 May 1952, the First Lok Sabha held its first session. The first Lok Sabha Speaker of India was Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, who served from 15 May 1952 to 27 February 1956. Shri. M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar served as the First Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 30 May 1952 to 7 March 1956.

Constitution of the Lok Sabha

• The total strength of the House of People or the Lok Sabha is 552 seats. Out of 552 seats, states are represented by 530 elected members, and Union Territories are represented by 20 elected members.

• Members of the Anglo-Indian Community fill the remaining 2 seats. They are nominated by the President of India if, in his opinion, there is not enough representation in the House for the Anglo-Indian Community.

• The present strength of the House of People is 545 seats.

• The duration of the Lok Sabha is a 5-year term beginning from the first day after the general elections.

• Here, the President has the authority to dissolve the Lok Sabha at the advice of the Prime Minister at any time before the five years of completion. This cannot be ruled or challenged by any code of law.

Sessions

The following are the sessions held by the Lok Sabha:

Budget Session – from February to May

Autumn or Monsoon Session – from July to August 

Winter Session – from November to December

Eligibility of members of Lok Sabha in India

• The minimum age for being a member of the Lok Sabha is 25 years.

• The individual must have Indian citizenship.

• Their name must be on the list of registered voters anywhere in the country.

• It is essential that they should not be a convicted criminal, a debtor, or prohibited by law from participating.

Speaker of the Lok Sabha

• The members of the House elect the Speaker of the Lok Sabha soon after the first session of the legislative body. The President designates a date for the election of the Speaker.

• The Speaker will preside over the forthcoming Lok Sabha sessions, and they are usually the oldest member of the last Lok Sabha. Their oath is administered by the President.

• A majority of Lok Sabha members can remove the Speaker by a majority vote, but only after giving a notice period of 14 days. The Speaker gives their resignation to the Deputy Speaker.

• The two Houses of Parliament sit together under the Speaker’s chairmanship. The President convenes such meetings when two houses cannot agree on a bill.

• The Speaker classifies Bills as money bills, and his decision on this matter is final.

• In the first instance, he cannot vote. However, if there is a tie, he can cast his vote.

• During the removal process, he can speak, participate, and also vote but cannot vote in a tie. In such a situation, he cannot preside. Nevertheless, his motion must be supported by at least 50 votes to pass with an absolute majority.

• The longest-serving Speaker of the Lok Sabha has been Balram Jakhar.

Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha

• Members of the Lok Sabha elect the Deputy Speaker the same way as they elect the Speaker. The Speaker determines the date on which elections are to be held.

• A similar process is followed for the removal of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. The Deputy Speaker gives his resignation to the Speaker.

• The joint sitting is presided over by him in the absence of the Speaker.

Powers of Lok Sabha

• Only the Lok Sabha can introduce money bills, which are then sent to the Rajya Sabha once passed. The Rajya Sabha has up to 14 days to debate them. The Bill is considered passed if the Rajya Sabha has not rejected a Bill, or if the House does not act within 14 days after the Bill’s introduction in the Rajya Sabha, or if the Lok Sabha does not accept recommendations made by the Rajya Sabha.

• In India, the Finance Minister presents the budget in the Lok Sabha on behalf of the President. 

• The Lok Sabha is responsible for the Council of Ministers. As long as the Lok Sabha has confidence in the Council of Ministers, they can function.

Conclusion

In this article, we learned that Lok Sabha members represent the people of India. In Lok Sabha, members are directly elected by the people from territorial constituencies where voting is completely based upon the concept of Universal Adult Franchise. The maximum number of seats in Lok Sabha is 545 at present. The Lok Sabha is given the authority to set the procedure of electing the ministers for union territories. Lok Sabha uses direct elections to elect members from the union territories. The duration of the Lok Sabha is a 5-year term beginning from the first day after the general elections.