Opposition forces election, fields K Suresh as its candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker's post

Congress leader K C Venugopal and DMK's T R Baalu walked out of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's office, refusing to endorse NDA candidate Om Birla without being offered the Deputy Speaker's position

Accusing the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of not following the convention of giving Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker's position to the Opposition, the INDIA bloc on Tuesday fielded Congress leader K Suresh as its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's position against Om Birla, reported news agency PTI.

Congress leader K C Venugopal and DMK's T R Baalu walked out of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's office, refusing to endorse NDA candidate Om Birla without being offered the Deputy Speaker's position, reported PTI.

Venugopal said the BJP refused to give a commitment on offering the Deputy Speaker's post to the opposition, reported PTI.

Union ministers Amit Shah and J P Nadda besides Singh tried to persuade opposition leaders to endorse the NDA nominee but in vain.

Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Lalan Singh accused the Congress of putting up conditions, adding the ruling alliance was willing to discuss their demand when the election for Deputy Speaker's takes place, reported PTI.

Sources told PTI that over 10 sets of nominations were filed in support of Birla's candidature, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Shah, Singh and Nadda, and BJP allies like TDP, JD(U), JD(S) and LJP (R).

Three sets of nominations were filed in support of Suresh, a Dalit leader and eight-term MP.

Meanwhile, Kota MP Om Birla on Tuesday filed nomination for the post of the Lok Sabha Speaker as an NDA consensus candidate, a position he held in the previous House.

Earlier, Kota MP Om Birla on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid indications that he will again be the ruling National Democratic Alliance's candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post.

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 NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the opposition will support the government on the Lok Sabha Speaker's choice if the convention is followed and the deputy speaker's post is given to the opposition bloc.

He also said that Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh was yet to get back to them on the opposition's demand for the deputy speaker's post.

Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants constructive cooperation but has not returned party president Mallikarjun Kharge's call on the demand, as promised, which amounts to an insult.

"The entire opposition has said that they will support the government on the Speaker's post, but the convention is that the post of deputy speaker is given to the Opposition," he said.

"Union minister Rajnath Singh had called Mallikarjun Kharge ji and has said that he will return his call, but it has not been done. While Modi ji wants constructive cooperation they are insulting our leader by not returning the call," he told reporters.

(With inputs from PTI)

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