New Delhi: NDA nominee Om Birla was elected as speaker of the Lok Sabha for a second consecutive term by voice vote on Wednesday, capping days of intense battle on the issue with the opposition in a rare move proposing its own candidate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who moved the motion for Birla’s election as speaker, lauded the balance he showed in maintaining decorum of the House during his previous term. Several opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, congratulated Birla too, stressing on “impartiality” and hoping he would allow them to raise the voice of the people and not apply his restraint orders only to opposition benches.
Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab made the announcement of Birla’s election after the opposition, which had forwarded the the name of eight-term Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, did not press for votes to the motion.
This is the fifth time that a speaker will serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha. It is also amongst the few occasions that an election became necessary for a post conventionally decided by consensus.
As he assumed charge, Birla read out a resolution condemning the Emergency imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 and asked members to observe a moment’s silence, triggering a wave of protests by the opposition.
“Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India… Indira Gandhi imposed dictatorship on such an India. The democratic values of India were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled,” Birla said while reading the resolution.
His first day in the chair saw the House being adjourned. While opposition members vociferously protested inside, BJP members held a demonstration outside Parliament House, raising slogans and demanding an apology from the Congress for the Emergency.
Earlier in the morning, after the election, the prime minister and Leader of Opposition Gandhi escorted Birla to the speaker’s chair. Gandhi also shook hands with Modi before escorting him.
In his address, the first in the 18th Lok Sabha, Modi said Birla’s work as a parliamentarian should be an inspiration for new Lok Sabha members.
He said Birla presided over a golden era in Lok Sabha history with a number of historic decisions taken during its previous term.
Modi lauded the balance shown by him in maintaining the decorum of the House which also involved taking several tough decisions. He expressed gratitude towards Birla for choosing to uphold the values of the House while maintaining traditions.
The prime minister emphasised that the functioning of the house, conduct and accountability deepen the foundation of democracy in the country.
Congratulating Birla, Gandhi said the opposition wanted the House to function “often and well” and added that it was very important that cooperation happens with trust. “The opposition would like to assist you in your work. I am confident you will allow us to speak in the House,” he said.
Gandhi also pointed out that the opposition this time represents significantly more voices of the Indian people than last time.
Samajwadi Party chief Yadav hoped that actions like suspension of MPs would not be taken as they hurt the dignity of the House.
He said he also hoped Birla would be impartial towards the opposition and give its leaders equal opportunities.
Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay and DMK leader T R Baalu echoed the sentiment.
Bandyopadhyay said the functioning of the House always depends on the attitude of the treasury benches.
“It is my firm belief and so far parliamentary democratic practice is concerned, the House belongs to the opposition,” he said.
He referred to the suspension of opposition MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha and said it was “not desirable”.
“You might have been elected by my BJP friends (but) hereafter there is no politics between you and the powers… You have to treat the opposition and the ruling party in the same manner. Kindly be impartial,” added Baalu.
Birla, 61, the BJP’s MP from Kota, has risen through the ranks of the party. He is a third-term MP from Kota in Rajasthan and been a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly thrice.
“Treasury and opposition benches run the House together, the strength of Indian democracy is in listening to everyone, and running the House with everyone’s agreement. I will expect that I run the House with everyone’s agreement. Even if there is lone member from a party, they should get sufficient time,” Birla said.
“It will be my expectation that the House runs without obstruction. We are elected by people with hope, which is why I urge there should not be disruptions in the House.”
There can be criticism, but obstruction is not a tradition of the House, Birla said.
“I never want to act against any member, but everyone wants the high standard of parliamentary tradition to be maintained. For that I have to make tough decisions at times,” the speaker said.
During the course of the proceedings, Birla intervened several times, reminding members to be precise and raise issues they wanted to during the debate on the motion of thanks to the president’s address.
He said the members should remember for the next five years that others should take their seat when the speaker is standing,
Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan took a jibe at the opposition for forcing an election for the speaker’s post.
In many opposition ruled states, he said, the post of both speaker and deputy speaker in the assembly is held by the ruling party.
Birla’s election follows a rare showdown by both the ruling alliance and the opposition bloc after the effort for a consensus was failed.
The opposition’s last-minute decision to go for a contest came after senior BJP leaders did not agree to the precondition that the INDIA bloc must be offered the post of deputy speaker in lieu of supporting Birla.
“INDIA parties exercised their democratic right and moved motions in support of Kodikunnil Suresh as Lok Sabha Speaker… Voice Vote was taken. Thereafter, INDIA parties could have insisted on division. They did not do so.
“This is because they wanted to a spirit of consensus and cooperation to prevail, a spirit singularly lacking in the actions of the PM and the NDA,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
With the NDA having 293 MPs in its kitty and the INDIA bloc 233 in the Lok Sabha, the numbers were clearly in favour of Birla. The Lok Sabha currently has 542 members after Rahul Gandhi resigned from one of the two seats he was elected from. At least three independent members also support the opposition.
Balram Jakhar is the only presiding officer to have served two complete terms extending seventh and eighth Lok Sabha.
