Today’s election for the post of the Lok Sabha Speaker is already tilted in the government’s favour.
New Delhi:
Congress’s Kodikunnil Suresh will go up against the BJP’s Om Birla for the post of Speaker for the 18th Lok Sabha. The vote for the post of Speaker was necessitated after the Centre and the opposition could not reach a consensus. This will be the first vote for the post since 1952.
While BJP’s Om Birla is a three-time MP from Rajasthan’s Kota and the Speaker in the last Lok Sabha, Congress’s pick K Suresh is an eight-term MP from Kerala’s Mavelikara.
The vote for the post of Speaker will take into account the number of MPs present and voting. The majority’s pick will be elected the Speaker. The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs.
Today’s election for the post of the Lok Sabha Speaker, already tilted in the government’s favour, can push the Opposition further down, with five of its 232 MPs yet to take oath. Seven MPs – five from the Opposition and two Independents – have not taken oath and cannot vote, sources have said.
The list includes stalwarts like Congress’s Shashi Tharoor and Trinamool Congress’s actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha. It is not yet known why the oath of some of these leaders is pending.
Here are the LIVE updates on Parliament Session 2024:
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday praised the appointment of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and said that the House of the People shall truly reflect the aspirations of the last person standing, with Rahul Gandhi becoming their voice. Congress on Tuesday declared that Rahul Gandhi, party’s MP from Raebareli will be Leader of the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha, ending the 10-year spell of no LoP in the Lower House since 2014.
In the 18th Lok Sabha, the House of the People shall truly reflect the aspirations of the last person standing, with Shri @RahulGandhi becoming their voice.
As Congress President, I am confident that a leader who has traversed the length and breadth of the country from…
– Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 25, 2024
Congress’ pick for the Lok Sabha Speaker post K Suresh, speaking exclusively with NDTV, said that there won’t be a voice vote in the Speaker election today.
“We are going for a division of votes, not voice vote,” Mr Suresh told NDTV.
???? #NDTVExclusive | “Going to ask for division vote, not voice vote”: Opposition’s candidate K Suresh to The Hindkeshariahead of #LokSabhaSpeaker election pic.twitter.com/9OitSawSch
– The Hindkeshari(@ndtv) June 26, 2024
Congress MP K Suresh has said that the government “compelled” the INDIA bloc to contest the Lok Sabha speaker election as their reply was not satisfactory over the issue.
“We don’t want to contest the election against the Speaker, but when the government approached INDIA bloc, especially the Congress party leadership, we asked about the Deputy Speaker post. At that time, we were not given any assurance. Yesterday, too, they didn’t give any assurance by 11.30 am. They said, first, you support the Speaker election, and after that, we can discuss the Deputy Speaker. That reply was not satisfactory. So, our leaders decided to contest the Speaker election,” Mr Suresh was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
Lok Sabha Speaker Election, Om Birla vs K Suresh: In Lok Sabha Speaker Election, BJP Gets 4-MP Boost From Southern PartyEx-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party will support BJP MP Om Birla in today’s election for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post, sources told NDTV. The YSRCP has four MPs in the Lower House.
These four additional votes in the BJP’s corner means Om Birla will have the support of 297 MPs, giving him an unbeatable lead. The BJP already has 240 votes from its own MPs and 53 from NDA partners, including the 16 from the YSRCP’s rival – Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP.
Parliament Session 2024 Live Updates: How Lok Sabha Speaker Is Elected
The vote for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker takes into account the number of MPs present and voting. The majority’s pick will be elected the Speaker.
Om Birla vs K Suresh In Rare Election For Lok Sabha Speaker Today
BJP’s Om Birla is a three-time MP from Rajasthan’s Kota and the Speaker in the last Lok Sabha. On the other hand, Congress’s pick K Suresh is an eight-term MP from Kerala’s Mavelikara.
BJP’s Om Birla is up against Congress’s Kodikunnil Suresh for the post of Speaker for the 18th Lok Sabha today.
The vote for the post of Speaker was necessitated after the Centre and the opposition could not reach a consensus. This will be the first vote for the post since 1952.