Political slugfest over Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker post continues, NDA says ‘announcement soon’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju escort Om Birla to the chair after the latter was elected as the Speaker of the House during the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha,

The Deputy Speaker post in the Lok Sabha, which was vacant under the previous NDA term, is set to be filled again. However, the political slugfest over who will get the deputy speaker post continues as INDIA bloc continues to push for their candidate, while NDA said that there is no precondition for the opposition to get the post.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is open to the idea of having a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha, sources told PTI on Thursday, stressing that a call on the matter will be taken later. However, they stressed that INDIA has not been “promised” the Dy Speaker post, and proper elections will be held for the same.

They said the NDA has not rejected the opposition's claim on the post but criticised its insistence that its nominee should be given the position, saying such a precondition could not be considered during the speaker's election.

The NDA had said that the opposition's demand can be considered when the election for the deputy speaker takes place but it should not impose any precondition.

Earlier, the central government tried to reach a consensus for the appointment of Om Birla as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, but failed to do so after the INDIA bloc put up Congress MP K Suresh as the rival candidate. Birla was later elected by a voice vote.

An announcement regarding the Deputy Speaker nominees and election date are expected soon, sources told PTI.

Earlier, NDTV quoted government sources as saying that the NDA is likely to keep the deputy speaker post and not the opposition, likely to lead to more escalations between the Centre and the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha.

However, it is speculated that the NDA will try to keep allies like Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar happy by considering their parties' MPs for the post. INDIA bloc was pushing for the Speaker to be from TDP or JD(U), but BJP decided to retain the post.

Opposition leaders on Thursday dubbed the President's address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament as a "script given by the government" that was "full of lies" and castigated the government over the repeated mention of the 1975 Emergency. They alleged there is an "undeclared emergency" in the country and the Constitution is being attacked under the Modi government.

(With inputs from PTI)

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