NEW DELHI: Failing to reach a consensus over the Speaker candidate for the 18th Lok Sabha, the opposition INDIA bloc has fielded K Suresh against BJP-led NDA‘s pick Om Birla, who is in contest for the second stint.
Birla, MP from Rajasthan’s Kota, was renominated by the NDA for the Speaker post on Tuesday.
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday roped in INDIA bloc leaders to build a consensus on the Speaker name but failed to break the ice as the opposition wanted to name their candidate for the deputy speaker post in return for their support to NDA’s Speaker pick.
After hectic parleys and long discussions, the INDIA bloc decided to field K Suresh an, eight-time Congress MP from Kerala.
While the opposition has put all its weight into ensuring the Speaker election is not a cakewalk for the NDA, the Speaker election has become one of a kind as it will be held after 48 years.
Why Speaker election has grabbed eyeballs
Birla, MP from Rajasthan’s Kota, was renominated by the NDA for the Speaker post on Tuesday.
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday roped in INDIA bloc leaders to build a consensus on the Speaker name but failed to break the ice as the opposition wanted to name their candidate for the deputy speaker post in return for their support to NDA’s Speaker pick.
After hectic parleys and long discussions, the INDIA bloc decided to field K Suresh an, eight-time Congress MP from Kerala.
While the opposition has put all its weight into ensuring the Speaker election is not a cakewalk for the NDA, the Speaker election has become one of a kind as it will be held after 48 years.
Why Speaker election has grabbed eyeballs
- This will be only the fourth time – and the first in nearly 50 years – when a speaker will not be elected by consensus.
- Birla will be the fifth person after M A Ayyangar, G S Dhillon, Balram Jakhar and GMC Balayogi to hold the office two times in a row.
- The post was contested in 1952, the first Lok Sabha, in 1967 and 1976.
- Balram Jakhar is the only MP who completed two full terms as Lok Sabha speaker.
- With NDA having an official strength of 293 in the 543-strong House, the stage is set for Birla, third-term MP from Kota, to get a second term as speaker.
- BJP-led ruling NDA has 293 MPs in Lok Sabha which seats 543 parliamentarians.
- YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, chief of YSRCP, said his party would back NDA in the Speaker election. Ex-Andhra Pradesh CM has 4 MPs in the House.
- The opposition INDIA bloc has 233 MPs in the Lower House.
- INDIA tally includes 29 MPs of TMC, which has said Congress unilaterally picked a candidate.
- Motion proposing name of Speaker can be adopted by a voice vote. If opposition insists on a division of votes, paper slips will be distributed to MPs to vote since seats have not been allocated to the new Mps for the electronic display system.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be moving motion to elect Om Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker.
