Om Birla vs K Suresh For Speaker As Government-Opposition Consensus Collapses

The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker post is set to occur for the first time due to a lack of consensus between the ruling BJP-led NDA and the opposition. The NDA has nominated BJP MP Om Birla, while the opposition has put forward veteran Congress leader K Suresh as their candidate.

The government had tasked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju with forging a consensus on the Lok Sabha Speaker candidate, following indications from the opposition INDIA bloc that it was exploring its alternatives.

In the general elections, Om Birla secured victory in the Kota Lok Sabha constituency with a substantial margin of over 41,000 votes.

Previously, there were indications that the Deputy Speaker's position could be offered to the opposition if consensus was reached on the NDA's candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker. In 2014, the BJP had appointed AIADMK's M Thambi Durai as Deputy Speaker, but the position has remained vacant since 2019.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi mentioned that party president Mallikarjun Kharge had been contacted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, requesting support for the NDA's Speaker candidate.

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Rahul Gandhi emphasized that traditionally, the Deputy Speaker's role should be given to the opposition. He stated, "Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and asked for support for the Speaker. The entire Opposition agreed to support the Speaker, but tradition dictates that the Deputy Speaker position should go to the opposition. Rajnath Singh promised to call back Mallikarjun Kharge but hasn't done so yet."

The first day of Parliament commenced on a stormy note

The consensus on the Speaker's post follows a tense standoff between the government and the opposition regarding the appointment of pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. Initially, opposition leaders, led by the Congress, declined to participate in the panel assisting the pro tem Speaker. They criticized the government for not adhering to the tradition of appointing the most senior member of the Lok Sabha temporarily.

The first day of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced amidst controversy, marked by a heated exchange between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mallikarjun Kharge over the declaration of Emergency in 1975. Amidst the swearing-in of 262 MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposition members staged a protest within the Parliament complex. Members of the INDIA bloc, including Rahul Gandhi, voiced slogans of "save democracy" while displaying copies of the Constitution.

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