In a historic turn of events, an election for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post will be held today on Wednesday, marking the first such contest in decades. This rare election comes after the BJP-led NDA government and the Congress-led INDIA opposition failed to reach a consensus.
Previously, Lok Sabha Speaker elections have occurred only three times in history—in 1952, 1967, and 1976. Traditionally, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected through an agreement between the ruling party and the Opposition.
The contest will see BJP’s Om Birla, a three-time MP from Kota, Rajasthan, face off against Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term parliamentarian from Mavelikara, Kerala. Suresh holds the distinction of being the longest-serving parliamentarian in the 18th Lok Sabha.
Both the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress Party have issued three-line whips to their members, mandating their presence in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday from 11 am until the end of the proceedings. The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for June 26. Following this, on June 27, President Murmu will address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.
This development follows the NDA’s refusal to accept the Opposition INDIA bloc’s demand that the Deputy Speaker’s position be reserved for the Opposition in exchange for its support for the NDA’s nominee. Initially, the INDIA bloc demanded the Deputy Speaker position, but with no clear response from the BJP, the bloc has now nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the Speaker’s post. In contrast, the BJP has put forward Kota MP Om Birla, who previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi revealed that they had informed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of their willingness to support the NDA's Speaker candidate, provided the Deputy Speaker position was allotted to the Opposition. "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the Opposition," Gandhi stated to the media on Tuesday.
With 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the NDA holds a clear majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which began on June 24, will conclude on July 3, allowing time for the oath/affirmation of newly elected Members. Meanwhile, the 264th Session of the Rajya Sabha will commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3.
This session follows the general elections where the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 seats, while the INDIA bloc obtained 234 seats. Notably, the BJP fell short of a majority, winning 240 seats.
