The Opposition, which had proposed Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, did not press for votes to the motion.
Published Jun 26, 2024 | 12:21 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 26, 2024 | 12:39 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi escort Om Birla to the chair. (Sreengrab)
NDA nominee Om Birla was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday, 26 June, after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopted through voice votes.
Birla was set to be elected since the numbers in the Lower House of Parliament favoured the NDA.
Pro-tem Speaker B Mahtab announced Birla’s election after the Opposition, which had proposed Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, did not press for votes to the motion.
“I announce Om Birla elected as the Speaker,” Mahtab said.
Soon after, Modi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju went to Birla’s seat in the front row of the treasury benches to escort him to the chair.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi also joined them. Rahul Gandhi greeted Birla and shook hands with the prime minister.
After that, Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Rijiju escorted Birla to the chair where Mahtab welcomed him saying, “It is your chair, please occupy.”
Congratulating Birla on his fresh term on behalf of the entire House, the prime minister lauded the third-term MP for his conduct as Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha and also as a parliamentarian.
Modi said Birla presided over a golden era in Lok Sabha’s history as a number of historic decisions were taken during its previous term.
Noting that he is the first Speaker after Balram Jakhar, who was in the Chair between 1980 and 1989, to get another term after serving a full tenure, the prime minister expressed confidence that he will continue to create new bench marks.
The previous Lok Sabha notched up to 97 percent productivity, highest in 25 years, he said, adding that Birla ensured the House’s functioning even during the Covid period and maintained its dignity and decorum, at times by taking difficult decision.
Birla’s sweet smile keeps the House happy, he said.
In over the last two decades, outgoing speakers either did not contest elections or lost in the poll, Modi said, adding Birla created history in this sense as well.
Congratulating Om Birla for being elected speaker of the Lok Sabha for a second term, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said he hoped the Opposition would be allowed to raise the voice of people in the House.
He also said the Opposition wanted the House to function “often and well” and added that it was very important that cooperation happens with trust.
“I’d like to congratulate you on your successful election… I congratulate you on behalf of the entire INDIA alliance. This House represents the voice of people of India… Of course the government has political power, but the opposition also represents the voice of India’s people,” the Congress leader said.
“The Opposition would like to assist you in your work. I am confident you will allow us to speak in House,” he said.
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said he hoped that actions like suspension of MPs would not be taken as they hurt the dignity of the House.
Yadav said he also hoped that Birla would be impartial towards the Opposition and give its leaders equal opportunity.
“We believe you will move forward without discrimination and as the Speaker, you will give equal opportunity and respect to every party. Impartiality is a great responsibility of this great post. You sitting here are the chief justice of the court of democracy,” Yadav said.
“We expect that the voice of no public representative will be suppressed and actions like suspensions which hurt the dignity of the House will not be taken,” he said.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the functioning of the House always depends on the attitude of the treasury benches and the House belongs to the Opposition.
“It is my firm belief and so far parliamentary democratic practice is concerned, the House belongs to the Opposition. This attitude needs to be adopted by the ruling party,” he said.
He mentioned the suspension of Opposition MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha and said it was “not desirable”.
He also said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned several bills being passed, many were passed without any debate.
DMK’s TR Baalu said that now that Birla is the Speaker, he does not belong to any party anymore.
“You might have been elected by my BJP friends (but) hereafter there is no politics between you and the powers. You don’t have any colour also. You have to treat the opposition and the ruling party in the same manner. Kindly be impartial,” he said.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria, and NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule moved the motion for electing Suresh as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.
The TMC had agreed to support Suresh following discussions its chief Mamata Banerjee had with Rahul Gandhi. The TMC had earlier declined to sign Suresh’s nomination papers on Tuesday.
Earlier reports said the ruling NDA and the Opposition had talks regarding a consensus candidate. Though the Opposition sought the post of deputy speaker, the ruling front remained non-committal.
The failure to arrive at a consensus pitted Suresh against Birla, breaking the convention of naming a consensus candidate.
Ahead of the election, AICC general secretary and MP KC Venugopal said his party wanted a unanimous choice, but the prime minister failed to walk the talk of cooperation and consensus.
Birla, 60, represents Kota, Rajasthan, in the Lok Sabha.
(With PTI inputs)
(South First is now on WhatsApp and Telegram)
