LS Speaker Polls LIVE: ‘Govt may have power but…,’ Rahul tells Om Birla

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav says, “…I congratulate you and extend you best wishes on behalf of all my colleagues. The post that you are occupying has glorious traditions attached to it. We believe that this will continue without any discrimination and as Lok Sabha Speaker you will give equal opportunities and respect to every member and party. Impartiality is a great responsibility of this great position…We expect that no public representative’s voice will be stifled, nor will an action like expulsion take place again. Your control is on the Opposition but it should be on the ruling side too. The House should function on your signals and not the other way round. We stand with all your just decisions…I hope that you would respect Opposition as much as you respect the ruling dispensation and let them present their side…”

Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 LIVE: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said, “I would like to congratulate you for your 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. 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 opposition would like to assist you in doing your work. We would like the House to function often and well. It is very important that cooperation happens on the basis of trust. It is very important that the voice of the Opposition is allowed to be represented in this House,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 LIVE: Rahul Gandhi has congratulated newly appointed  Speaker Om Birla on behalf of the entire Opposition and said INDIA bloc is confident “the new Speaker will allow them to speak”.

“Govt may have political power, but opposition also represents voice of the people. By allowing opposition to speak, you will do your duty of defending the Constitution of India,” he said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The works that didn’t happen during 70 years of independence, were made possible by this House under your chairmanship. Several milestones come in the long journey of democracy. A few occasions are such when we receive the opportunity to establish milestones. I am very confident that the country will be proud of the achievements of the 17th Lok Sabha.”

Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 LIVE: NDA candidate Om Birla has been elected the Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time in a row. Addressing the lower House of Parliament after Om Birla’s election, PM Modi congratulated the BJP leader and said, “Matter of honour that you have been elected to this chair for second time.”

“Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy,” PM Modi said.

Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 Live: Om Birla is the only Lok Sabha speaker after Balram Jakhar in 1985 to get two full terms. Birla was on Wednesday elected as Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha. He was speaker of 17th Lok Sabha too.

Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 Live: Opposition leaders in INDIA bloc moved motion to elect K Suresh as Speaker of Lok Sabha. Suresh is contesting against NDA candidate Om Birla.

Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 Live: NDA leaders are currently seconding the motion to elect Om Birla as Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Birla is the NDA candidate. He is being challenged by K Suresh of INDIA bloc for the chair. The motion was moved in the beginning by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rajiv Rajjan Singh alias Lallan Singh supports the motion. Lallan Singh is JDU MP. 

PM Modi moves motion to elect Om Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker. 

Shashi Tharoor, Nurul Islam, Engineer Rasheed, Amprit Pal not present during oath-taking. 

On Lok Sabha Speaker election, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj says “It would have been better if the election was conducted unanimously as the Speaker belongs to everyone, but it is sad that the Opposition has made it conditional…K Suresh is an experienced leader, why the Opposition did not elect him as the LoP? Why was he fielded in an election where they knew INDI alliance did not have adequate numbers?…”

Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah arrived at the Parliament. 

JMM leader Mahua Majhi said on Speaker election scheduled to happen today.

“INDIA alliance has nominated a Dalit leader. K Suresh is an eight-time MP. If he would have been made the Deputy Speaker, then there would not have been any controversy. In the last 5 years, there was no deputy speaker. It has been a tradition to choose Deputy Speaker from the Opposition. The Opposition is strong this time. When they were adamant to not choose Deputy Speaker from the Opposition, we had no option but to go for election. They are choosing a seven-time MP when we have an eight-time MP. I extend my good wishes to Rahul Gandhi as a Leader of Opposition.”

On Lok Sabha Speaker election, BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai says “Normally the Speaker is not contested but this time the Opposition is breaking all the conventions. The Speaker is above the party lines but they want to politicise the Speaker’s post as well. It is very unfortunate…”

On Lok Sabha Speaker election, Union Minister and BJP MP Sarbananda Sonowal says, “We will win for sure. No matter how much they try, we will win…”

NDA candidate for the position of the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla reaches the Parliament. 

On the words used by him while taking oath in Parliament, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says “Let them do whatever they want. I also know a little bit about the Constitution. These empty threats will not work on me.”

On the Lok Sabha Speaker election, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, “…It is better for all of us to elect the Speaker unanimously. I think we still have time and we will make one more appeal to the Congress party but if we are pushed into the election, we are prepared…”

For the first time in Lok Sabha history, an election for the 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.

Traditionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker were elected through consensus between the ruling party and the Opposition.

The contest 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.

BJP Spokesperson CR Kesavan hits out at the Congress over the Speaker election scheduled to happen today. Here’s what he said.

“The Congress Party and the INDI alliance will face their first humiliating defeat in the long list of defeats to follow in the 18th Lok Sabha. It has become very clear now that the party has forced an election for Speaker to sacrifice K Suresh at the alter of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. They made K Suresh a scapegoat to stand in election which they are certain to lose because they wanted to pave way to make Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition. the Congress has been repeatedly dishonouring established democratic norms, disrespecting and defaming Constitutional institutions and disrespecting conventions.”

“The government compelled the INDIA Alliance to contest the election. We don’t want to contest the election against the Speaker, but when the government approached INDIA Alliance, especially the Congress party leadership, we asked about the Deputy Speaker post. At that time, we were not given any assurance. Yesterday, too, they didn’t give any assurance by 11.30 am. They said, First, you support the Speaker election, and after that, we can discuss the Deputy Speaker. So, that reply was not satisfactory. So, our leaders decided to contest the Speaker election,” said K. Suresh.

On Lok Sabha Speaker election, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari says, “BJP is responsible for this. The elections are taking place due to its lust for power and its intentions to bulldoze democracy. Had the traditions, the norms been followed, the Speaker post would have gone to the BJP unopposed and Deputy Speaker post would have gone to Congress and INDIA Alliance. But BJP doesn’t believe in democracy. It broke that tradition. so this will be our democratic protest. We will not let them win just like that, we will raise our voice for the democratic tradition.”

On TMC’s “unilateral decision” remark for INDIA bloc’s candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post, Congress MP K. Suresh says, “Everything cleared up yesterday evening. Their leaders – Derek O’Brien and Kalyan Banerjee – attended the INDIA Alliance meeting last evening at Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence. We explained the situation, they could understand the situation and they will also cooperate with us.”

INDIA bloc’s candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post, Congress MP K. Suresh says, “The Government compelled the INDIA Alliance to contest the election. We don’t want to contest the election against the Speaker but when the Government approached INDIA Alliance, especially the Congress party leadership, we asked about the Deputy Speaker post. At that time, we were not given any assurance. Yesterday, too they didn’t give any assurance by 11.30 am. They said, first you support the Speaker election and after that we can discuss the Deputy Speaker. So, that reply was not satisfactory. So, our leaders decided to contest the Speaker election. This election is the adamant stand of NDA leadership. Otherwise, it could have been avoided. But, they are not ready to cooperate with Opposition, they are not ready to give a chance to Opposition party for Deputy Speaker post. That is why, this election is happening today. But this election’s full responsibility is NDA leadership’s.”

INDIA bloc’s candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post, Congress MP K. Suresh says, “Number is not an issue but the only thing is the convention – the ruling party, the NDA has broken the convention. That is why, we are fighting (the election).”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will move the motion today in the Lok Sabha to choose Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house amid a tussle for the post with the opposition’s INDIA bloc.

In today’s list of business, the remaining MPs who have not already taken the oath or made the affirmation to do so will sign the roll of members.

Then, in what promises to be a stormy session, PM Modi will bring the motion that Om Birla, a member of the Lok Sabha, be chosen as the Speaker of the House. Rajnath Singh will second the motion. (ANI)

As the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc are set to lock horns over the post of Speaker in the Parliament on Wednesday, former Secretary General of the Lok Sabha PD Thankappan Achary said that elections for the key post have taken place earlier, though on rare occasions.

“Election has always taken place, election has to take place but the contest has happened rarely. But it has happened,” Achary said, speaking to ANI on Tuesday. (ANI)

Odisha: On Om Birla being nominated as Speaker of the Lok Sabha by NDA, BJD MP Muzibullah Khan says, “… We were expecting pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab to be nominated as the Speaker. He is a very experienced leader. NDA has been unjust with Odisha who has given 20 MPs to the BJP. We were hoping for at least 4 ministries and speaker post for Odisha MPs… Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram have got ministries but still, we hoped for more… We will raise the issues of Odisha in the Parliament and prove to be a good opposition. Our leader Naveen Patnaik has given us a freehold…” (25.06)

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari says, “In a democratic system, conventions and traditions have the same importance as rules and regulations. It has been a tradition that whether it is Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha, the post of Speaker belongs to the ruling party and the post of Deputy Speaker, barring one or two occasions, always belongs to the opposition. BJP has started a new tradition. They do not appoint a Deputy Speaker and if they appoint one, then they will appoint someone from their ally party. This is a mockery of democracy. This is cruel treatment of democracy. Therefore, to register a democratic protest, we have fielded K Suresh, who is an 8-time MP, against their candidate, while Birla ji is a 1 or 3-time MP. We are fully hopeful that the majority of the members of Lok Sabha will go with Suresh ji…”

Delhi: On the post of Lok Sabha speaker, BJP MP Tejaswi Surya says, “All efforts were made on the part of the NDA to arrive at a consensus but the opposition adopted a very confrontational attitude and instead of coming together to elect a speaker unanimously, they have chosen to put up a candidate…I am sure that Om Birla will emerge victorious and he will continue his work of upholding democracy…”

K Suresh’s nomination as the Opposition candidate came after a tense discourse between the NDA and INDIA bloc over the post of deputy Speaker. INDIA bloc said it was willing to support NDA candidate but only if the deputy Speaker post is given to the Opposition.

“Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said that we would support the Speaker but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet,” Rahul Gandhi said.

A Lok Sabha Speaker is elected by a simple majority. More than half of the 543 members present in the Lok Sabha vote for a particular candidate to become the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority. The Opposition bloc has 234 legislators in the lower House of Parliament.

With numbers in favour of the NDA, Om Birla is set to become the Lok Sabha Speaker for a second term. Om Birla was first elected to Lok Sabha in 2014. He was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha when he returned as an MP from Kota.