Lok Sabha Set for Rare Speaker Election as Opposition Challenges NDA's Nominee
In Short:
- Om Birla re-nominated by BJP-led NDA for Lok Sabha Speaker.
- Opposition fields Kodikunnil Suresh, forcing an election.
- NDA has numerical advantage with 293 MPs; INDIA bloc has 233.
- Election scheduled for today.
Om Birla, who previously served as Lok Sabha Speaker, has been chosen again by the ruling BJP-led NDA for another term. However, this time, the opposition has decided to challenge this move by nominating Kodikunnil Suresh as their candidate, making this election "historic." The voting is set to take place today.
The opposition's decision to contest came after their proposal for the Deputy Speaker's post was declined by senior BJP leaders. The opposition believed this role should go to the INDIA bloc in exchange for their support of Birla. With the NDA holding 293 MPs and the INDIA bloc 233 in the 542-member Lok Sabha, Birla is favored to win. Some independent MPs are also expected to support the opposition.
The NDA is confident of additional support from unaligned parties like the YSR Congress, which has four MPs. BJP sources indicate that while the Congress has been the primary force behind the opposition's push, some INDIA bloc members are not very enthusiastic about the contest. If Birla wins, it will be notable as he will be one of the few Speakers to serve beyond a single Lok Sabha term. Balram Jakhar of the Congress is the only Speaker to have served two complete terms so far.
Om Birla, a three-term MP and former Rajasthan MLA, has risen through the BJP ranks. His opponent, Kodikunnil Suresh, is an eighth-term MP from Kerala and belongs to a Dalit community. If a vote takes place, it will be conducted using paper slips as the electronic voting system is not yet set up in the new Lok Sabha.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh has been reaching out to opposition parties to garner support for Birla, meeting with key leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Suresh, who has a legal background with an LL.B. from Government Law College in Thiruvananthapuram, expressed that the issue is about following parliamentary conventions. He argued that the Speaker traditionally comes from the ruling party and the Deputy Speaker from the opposition. He highlighted that the opposition was denied the Deputy Speaker's post in the last two Lok Sabhas because they were not recognized as the opposition. Now that they are recognized, he believes the Deputy Speaker position is their right.
"We waited for a response from the government until 11:50, but they did not reply," Suresh told reporters, emphasizing that the election is about upholding parliamentary traditions.