Om Birla, the NDA nominee, was officially elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker on June 26. The election took place through a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was adopted via voice votes. The pro-tem speaker, Bhartruhari Mahtab, declared Om Birla as the Speaker after the house echoed with ‘Ayes’ and ‘Noes’.
The opposition had nominated K Suresh as the Speaker candidate from the INDIA bloc but did not push for a division vote. “I declare Om Birla as the Speaker,” Mahtab announced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi escorted Om Birla to the Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair. PM Modi congratulated Birla, saying, “I congratulate you on behalf of the entire House and look forward to your guidance for the next five years.” He also remarked, “Your warm smile brightens up the entire House.”
This marks the first time the voting for the Lok Sabha Speaker happened without unanimous consensus. Traditionally, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected through agreement between the ruling party and the opposition. However, the opposition’s INDIA bloc broke this tradition, leading to a contest for the Speaker post. The BJP’s Om Birla, a three-time MP from Kota in Rajasthan, was up against the Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term parliamentarian from Kerala’s Mavelikara.
The opposition has also set a condition for the deputy speaker, stating that democracy does not run on conditions. Prime Minister Modi moved the motion to elect Om Birla amid this ongoing tussle for the position.
The Lok Sabha Speaker election saw Om Birla, an experienced parliamentarian, secure the role against Kodikunnil Suresh, who is the longest-serving parliamentarian in the 18th Lok Sabha.
