Role of the Speaker: Articles 178-187 & 10th Schedule | Bharat Samvidhan
Explore the constitutional role of the Speaker in the Legislative Assembly, their powers under the Anti-Defection Law, and the 91st Amendment.
POLITICAL HUB
SPEAKER'S ROLE
LEGISLATIVE HEAD
The Speaker: Guardian of the House
The Speaker is the highest authority within the Legislative Assembly, ensuring order and deciding on the eligibility of members under the Anti-Defection Law.
Simply Explained
Think of the Speaker as the "Chairman" of a massive meeting. They don't take sides. Their job is to make sure everyone follows the rules, and if a member "defects" (switches parties illegally), the Speaker has the power to kick them out!
01. Election & Office (Article 178)
Every Legislative Assembly of a State shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the Assembly to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Independence of Office
Once elected, the Speaker is expected to act with absolute neutrality. Under the
10th Schedule
, the Speaker can even resign from their political party to maintain this impartiality without being disqualified.
Speaker FAQs
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Chief Justice
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The "No-Time-Limit" Gap
One of the biggest debates in Indian politics is that the Constitution sets **no specific time limit** for the Speaker to decide on disqualification petitions.
Anti-Defection Guide
Understand the laws that prevent MLAs from switching parties after the results.
View Full Law →