Om Birla vs K Suresh: In a first, Lok Sabha to elect Speaker by vote
In a first since independence in 1947, the Lok Sabha will elect Speaker by vote. Lok Sabha is the lower house of the Indian Parliament, and Speaker is leader of the House
New Delhi: In a first since independence in 1947, the Lok Sabha will elect Speaker by vote. Lok Sabha is the lower house of the Indian Parliament, and Speaker is leader of the House.
It is a convention in the Indian Parliament to nominate or elect Speaker with consensus. But, the NDA government led by Narendra Modi to bring consensus, forcing election for the post of Speaker.
According to the Parliament’s ongoing session, the election for the Speaker will be held today i.e. Wednesday June 26, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
Om Birla, BJP MP from Rajasthan, has filed his nomination papers for the post of Speaker whereas K Suresh, Congress MP from Kerala, filed his nomination papers for the post as the opposition INDIA alliance candidate.
If elected, Om Birla will be Speaker for the consequent second term. He was the Speaker in the last i.e. 17th Lok Sabha. His tenure was marred by the controversies, the worst was when he suspended over 100 opposition MPs in a single session.
K Suresh is the senior most MP, he won 8 Parliament elections in a row. The Congress had earlier said K Suresh on the virtue of being senior most MP deserved for the post of Pro-Tem Speaker. The BJP however ignored him.
Why is election for Speaker?
It has been a convention for all the parties to agree on a consensus candidate for the post of Speaker. And, this convention was followed till 2019 when the 17th Lok Sabha was formed.
After the 2024 elections, the Congress urged the ruling BJP to follow the convention and decide the Speaker as per consensus.
The Congress also reminded the BJP to agree for an opposition candidate for the post of Deputy Speaker, which is also a convention.
The Congress said if the BJP will follow the convention then there definitely will be consensus on the post of Speaker.
The BJP however did not respond to the opposition proposal, forcing the election.
This was also for the first time in the history of the Indian Parliament when there was no Deputy Speaker in Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024.
Meanwhile, the numbers show if the elections are held, Om Birla will easily win as the NDA has the support of 293 MPs.
The INDIA alliance has the support of 264 MPs, including the 09 BJD MPs.
The INDIA alliance candidate K Suresh said he is contesting the election to protect the democracy.
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