Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: BJP MP Om Birla and Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh on June 25 filed nominations for the Lok Sabha Speaker election after talks between the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition’s INDIA bloc failed. This is the first time ever that the Lok Sabha will witness an election for the Speaker’s post.
The Opposition had agreed to support the government-backed candidate, Om Birla, under the condition that the deputy Speaker must be a member of the INDIA bloc. However, apparently, the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
Earlier, union minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh had reached out to the Opposition. However, minutes before the deadline for the nomination, Congress KC Venugopal, DMK’s TR Baalu walked out of Rajnath Singh’s office and refused to endorse NDA’s nominee.
KC Venugopal later said the government was non-committal on giving the deputy Speaker’s post to the Opposition.
K Suresh, according to the INDIA bloc, is the senior most member of Parliament. He won the Lok Sabha elections for the eighth time earlier this month.
