Om Birla vs K Suresh: NDA, Opposition fail to reach consensus as Lok Sabha speaker election set

The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post is imminent after efforts to reach a consensus between the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition bloc failed. The NDA has nominated BJP MP Om Birla, while the opposition has fielded veteran Congress leader K. Suresh.

In a bid to secure a unanimous candidate, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were tasked with building a consensus. However, the opposition alliance, known as INDIA, decided to pursue its own candidate, leading to the current electoral face-off.

Om Birla, the NDA candidate, is the sitting MP from Kota, having secured his seat with a margin exceeding 41,000 votes in the recent general elections. He previously served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

There was speculation that the Deputy Speaker's post could be offered to the opposition if an agreement was reached on the Speaker's position. Historically, the BJP had appointed AIADMK's M. Thambi Durai as Deputy Speaker in 2014, a position that has remained vacant since 2019.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi revealed that party president Mallikarjun Kharge received a call from Rajnath Singh, seeking support for the NDA's Speaker candidate. Gandhi emphasized the convention that the Deputy Speaker's post should be allocated to the opposition, adding that Singh had not followed up on the discussion.

The Speaker election follows a contentious standoff over the appointment of pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. Opposition leaders, led by the Congress, accused the government of breaking tradition by not appointing the senior-most member of the Lok Sabha to the temporary position. Consequently, opposition leaders refused to join the panel assisting the pro tem Speaker.

The 18th Lok Sabha session began on a tumultuous note, marked by a verbal clash between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mallikarjun Kharge over the 1975 Emergency. During the oath-taking ceremony for 262 MPs, including Prime Minister Modi, opposition members staged a protest within the Parliament complex. The INDIA bloc MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, were seen holding copies of the Constitution and chanting "save democracy."

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