Efforts by the BJP’s top leadership to secure a consensus on the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha have faltered, with the INDIA bloc nominating eight-time MP K Suresh for the post. This development follows the BJP’s nomination of Kota MP Om Birla, who served as Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha.
For the first time since independence, elections will be held for the Lok Sabha Speaker, breaking a long-standing tradition of electing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. The election is scheduled for June 26.
Key Highlights:
- BJP’s Stand: BJP MP Piyush Goyal stated there is no precedent that the Deputy Speaker’s post must go to the opposition. He criticized the opposition for creating unnecessary conflict, emphasizing the importance of electing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker unanimously as representatives of the entire House.
- Consensus Efforts: Senior cabinet minister Rajnath Singh had been in talks with opposition leaders to build a consensus for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions. However, these efforts did not yield the desired outcome.
- Opposition’s Stance: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi conveyed that the opposition was willing to support the NDA’s Speaker candidate if the Deputy Speaker post were allocated to the opposition. Gandhi highlighted instances of perceived disrespect towards opposition leaders, expressing frustration over the lack of reciprocal communication from the government.
Political Dynamics:
- NDA’s Majority: The NDA holds a clear majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha with 293 MPs, while the opposition INDIA bloc has 234 MPs.
- Upcoming Events: The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker is on June 26, followed by President Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament on June 27.
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