Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday paid floral tributes to Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha, at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan on his birth anniversary.
Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, Members of Parliament, former MPs, Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh, and other dignitaries also participated in the tribute ceremony.
Mavalankar, born on November 27, 1888, in Baroda (present-day Gujarat), played a seminal role in shaping India’s parliamentary institutions. He began his legislative career in 1937 as a member of the Bombay Legislative Assembly from Ahmedabad and served as its Speaker until 1946. He later presided over the Sixth Central Legislative Assembly, guiding it through the critical years leading up to Independence.
After 1947, Mavalankar served as Speaker of the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) and subsequently as Speaker of the Provisional Parliament. With the formation of the First Lok Sabha in 1952, he was unanimously elected as its Speaker on May 15, 1952, a position he held with distinction until his passing on February 27, 1956. His vision, discipline, and commitment continue to shape the functioning and traditions of the Indian Parliament.
The portrait of Mavalankar, painted by Madhav Satawalekar, adorns the Inner Lobby of Samvidhan Sadan. It was unveiled by then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on September 7, 1956.