NDA And Opposition Reach Consensus On Lok Sabha Speaker Post

The opposition has decided not to nominate a candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's position following an agreement reached with the ruling BJP-led NDA, according to sources. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were tasked by the government to secure consensus on the Speaker candidate after the opposition INDIA bloc indicated it was weighing its choices.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says "Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the Govt constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire… pic.twitter.com/yR5CzlagEx

— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2024

Om Birla, the former Speaker of the Lok Sabha, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, suggesting that the NDA might favor continuity in the role.

Earlier, reports indicated that the opposition might secure the Deputy Speaker's position if a consensus emerged on the NDA's choice for the Lok Sabha Speaker. In 2014, the BJP had appointed AIADMK's M. Thambi Durai as Deputy Speaker, a position that has remained vacant since 2019.

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The deadline for nominating candidates for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post is June 25. If the opposition had put forward a candidate, an election would have been conducted on Wednesday. Throughout India's parliamentary history, all Speakers have traditionally been elected unanimously.

The agreement on the Speaker's post follows a contentious dispute between the government and the Opposition regarding the appointment of pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab.

Opposition leaders declined to participate in the panel assisting the pro tem Speaker, alleging that the government departed from tradition by not appointing the most senior member of the Lok Sabha to the temporary position.

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