Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi was elected Speaker on March 24, 1998 at one of the critical junctures in the  country's political history. Balayogi was the youngest till date to occupy the office of Speaker.

Balayogi was Speaker for two terms. The first term was from March 24, 1998 till October 19, 1999. The second term was from October 22, 1999 till March 3, 2002.

The election of Balayogi as Speaker was, indeed, a precedent setting event in many respects. It was for the first time in the history of free India that a Dalit leader had been elected to the Chair. It was also for the first time that a member belonging to a regional party (Telugu Desam Party) became Speaker of Lok Sabha.

Balayogi believed that professional training of lawmakers was one of the surest ways of upgrading the standards of legislators and parliamentary and legislative business.