Lok Sabha Speaker Election: A Historic First

For the first time since independence, the Lok Sabha will hold an election for the Speaker’s position on June 26. This election was necessitated after the government and opposition failed to reach a consensus on the Deputy Speaker’s post.

Key Candidates

The INDIA bloc has nominated K Suresh, an 8-term MP, to compete against Om Birla, the BJP MP from Kota and the current Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha.

Political Reactions

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticized the BJP for forcing the election by not conceding the Deputy Speaker post to the opposition. He stated, “The only demand of the opposition was that the deputy speaker should have been from the opposition.”

On the other hand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition of indulging in conditional politics. He said, “The Speaker is not for a party, it is for the functioning of the House. The Speaker is elected unanimously. It is disheartening that Congress has nominated its candidate for Speaker.”

Union Civil Aviation Minister and TDP leader Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu echoed similar sentiments, stating, “Democracy does not work on conditions. There was never a convention to support the speaker on a conditional basis.”

Election Day

The election for the Speaker’s position will take place on June 26, followed by the President’s address to both houses of Parliament on June 27. With 290 MPs, the NDA has the numbers to ensure Om Birla’s election as Speaker.