Informist, Wednesday, Jun 26, 2024

NEW DELHI - Om Birla, the Bharatiya Janata Party's nominee, was today elected Lok Sabha Speaker for the second consecutive time. Birla, a three-time Lok Sabha member from Kota in Rajasthan, defeated the Congress' Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term MP from Kerala's Mavelikara in a voice vote.

Birla is the first speaker in 39 years to be re-elected to the Lok Sabha's highest office, after the Congress's Balram Jakhar in 1985.

While all parties in the National Democratic Alliance read out a motion supporting Birla's candidature, those in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance moved a motion supporting the candidature of Suresh.

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi welcomed Birla to the post of Speaker. Modi said Birla's work as a parliamentarian should be an inspiration for new Lok Sabha members.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said, "We would like the House to function...The question is not about how well the House is allowed to be run, the question is how well the voice of the people of India is heard in the House."

Birla's election to the post became clear after National Democratic Alliance partners Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (United) made their support for him evident today. While Harish Balayogi, the TDP's whip, issued a three-line whip to all party Lok Sabha members, mandating their presence and vote for the NDA candidate, the JD (U)'s Rajiv Ranjan Singh was enlisted in the business agendas of the Lower House to move the motion, "That Shri Om Birla, a member of this House, be chosen as the Speaker of this House."

In a rare event for the Lok Sabha, an election was held for the Speaker's post due to lack of consensus between the BJP and the Congress. Both parties had issued whips for their members to be present in the House and vote for their respective candidates. The election followed the NDA's refusal to grant the post of Deputy Speaker to the Opposition.

As per Lok Sabha records, the first election for the Speaker's post was held in 1952, between G.V. Mavalankar and Shankar Shantaram – Mavalankar emerged victorious with 394 votes against Shantaram's 55. In another contest for the post in 1976, Baliram Bhagat was elected with 344 votes against Jagannath Rao's 58.

In the 18th Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA has 293 members in a House of 543. Rival Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance has a strength of at least 236 members, and expects support from some smaller parties and independents. End

Reported by Shahid K Abbas

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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