Parliament session: Lok Sabha Speaker elections today; NDA's Om Birla vs INDIA's K Suresh in fray for post

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For the first time in decades, an election for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post will take place on Wednesday due to the inability of the BJP's ruling NDA government and the Congress-led INDIA opposition to reach to a consensus, reported news agency ANI.

Prior to this, the Lok Sabha speaker elections has happened only three times in the past history; 1952, 1967 and 1976. Traditionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected through consensus between the ruling party and the Opposition, reported ANI.

The Lok Sabha speaker elections will witness the BJP's Om Birla, a three-time MP from Kota in Rajasthan, up against the Congress' Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term parliamentarian from Kerala's Mavelikara. Suresh is 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, reported ANI.

The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. The development came after the NDA refused to accept the Opposition INDIA bloc's demand that the Deputy Speaker's position be left for the Opposition in exchange for its support to the NDA nominee.

Earlier, the INDIA bloc demanded the position of the Deputy Speaker. However, with no clarity forthcoming from the BJP, the INDIA bloc has put forward Congress MP K Suresh's name for the Speaker's post. On the other hand, BJP has nominated its Kota MP Om Birla for the Speaker post, who previously served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, reported ANI.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had informed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that the Opposition is prepared to support NDA's Speaker candidate, on the condition that the Deputy Speaker position is given to the opposition.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "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."

The NDA, which commands 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, holds a clear majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on June 24 and will conclude on July 3 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members.

The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3. This is the first Lok Sabha session post-general elections in which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged 293 seats while the INDIA bloc secured 234 seats. The BJP, however, failed to reach a majority mandate bagging merely 240 seats.

(With inputs from ANI)