Discussions are going on, Dy speaker post should go to opposition, says Sanjay Raut

(L) Speaker Om Birla and, (R) MP Sanjay Raut during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha. Pic/PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed that discussions are going on that the deputy Speaker post should go to the opposition and it will happen, reported news agency ANI. His remarks came after NDA candidate Om Birla took charge as Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha after a voice vote.

As per the news agency report, Raut also mentioned that the opposition didn't ask for a division of votes, and Birla was elected in a very peaceful manner.

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"There is a tradition. We didn't oppose but there is a tradition that elections should not be held. We showed them that we will stand facing you; we are doing that. We didn't ask for division (of votes) and Om Birla was elected in a very peaceful manner. Why is Om Birla being opposed? He is the same Lok Sabha Speaker who suspended more than 100 MPs at once. This didn't happen during Emergency," he said, reported ANI.

"Deputy Speaker post should go to the Opposition. Discussions are going on and it will happen," he asserted.

Another Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI that it will be remembered in the history that there was a candidate against Om Birla for the Speaker post.

"I want to congratulate Om Birla for his second term but it would be noted in history that there was a candidate against him... I want to remind the BJP that they would have to work according to the Constitution," Priyanka said.

DMK leader TR Baalu reportedly praised Om Birla and said that he is the common man's speaker.

Baalu reportedly said, "He was a close friend of mine for the past many years. He hails from the farmer's community and he is the common man's speaker."

According to the ANI report, he further said that fielding a candidate against Om Birla was a way for the opposition to show their anger and protest.

"It is a democratic process that we wanted to have our deputy speaker but they have not considered our request. We only wanted to show our anger and protest by fielding a candidate," Baalu added.

As per the agency report, earlier, in his first speech as Leader of Opposition of the 18th Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday congratulated BJP's Om Birla for being re-elected as Lok Sabha Speaker.

Rahul Gandhi speaking as the Leader of the Opposition said, "I would like to congratulate you for the successful election that you have been elected for the second time. I would like to congratulate you on behalf of the entire Opposition and the INDIA alliance," reported ANI.

"This House represents the voice of India's people and you are the final arbiter of that voice. The government has political power but the opposition also represents the voice of India's people and this time, the opposition represents significantly more voice of the Indian people than it did last time," the Congress MP said.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and MP from Kota, Om Birla was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha after the motion for the same was moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The motion was adopted by the house through a voice vote.

(with inputs from ANI)