Among the following who has been Speaker of Lok Sabha prior to his Election as President of India ?
Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy is the only President of India who had been Speaker of the Lok Sabha — option 3.
His career. He was Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, then President of the Indian National Congress, then Speaker of the Lok Sabha — twice, in 1967-69 and again in 1977 — and finally President of India from 1977 to 1982. Two further distinctions attach to him: he resigned his party membership on becoming Speaker in 1967, setting a precedent for the impartiality of the office; and he was elected President unopposed in 1977, the only person to be so elected. He had also stood for the presidency in 1969 and lost — to V. V. Giri.
| Person | Office held before becoming President |
|---|---|
| Giani Zail Singh | Chief Minister of Punjab, then Union Home Minister |
| V. V. Giri | Trade union leader, Governor, then Vice-President; won the 1969 election as an independent after a “conscience vote” |
| Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | Speaker of the Lok Sabha |
| A. P. J. Abdul Kalam | Scientist — head of DRDO and scientific adviser; never held political office |
Why the office of Speaker matters here. The Speaker presides over the Lok Sabha, decides whether a bill is a Money Bill under Article 110, exercises a casting vote, and rules on disqualification for defection under the Tenth Schedule. Election to the presidency from that office is unusual, since the Speaker is expected to be non-partisan and the presidency is filled by an electoral college of MPs and MLAs voting by proportional representation with a single transferable vote, under Article 55.
A useful cross-fact is that Giri and Reddy were the two rivals of the celebrated 1969 contest, in which the Congress split over the party’s official candidate — so both names in this question belong to the same episode, eight years before Reddy finally reached the office.
Hence, the answer is Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.
Which Article of the Constitution restrict a Member of Parliament to hold the office of profit ?
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The Speaker of the Lok Sabha enjoys
Minimum age for M.P. (Lower house), M.P. (Upper house) and President is
The Parliament can make any law for the whole or any part of India for implementing International treaties
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The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH) is an autonomous organization under:
The "Central Bureau of Investigation" functions under the superintendence of:
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