 "'Confident that you will allow us to speak': Rahul's message to Om Birla")
Om Birla, a three-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, secured his second consecutive term as Lok Sabha Speaker today amid scenes of unity and controversy. The NDA’s candidate won the election via voice vote, with a rare moment of camaraderie witnessed as Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warmly congratulated Birla and exchanged pleasantries with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amidst applause from all corners of the House, Prime Minister Modi, leader of the Opposition Gandhi, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju escorted Birla to the Speaker’s chair.
Praising Birla, the Prime Minister remarked, “Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy. It is an honour that you have been elected to this prestigious position for the second time.”
Praising Birla, the Prime Minister remarked, “Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy. It is an honour that you have been elected to this prestigious position for the second time.”
While Opposition leaders extended their congratulations, they emphasised the need for the Opposition’s voice to be heard.
Rahul Gandhi, now Leader of the Opposition said, “I am confident that you will allow us to speak. The question is not how efficiently the House is run. The question is how much of India’s voice is being allowed to be heard. So the idea that you can run the House efficiently by silencing the voice of the Opposition is non-democratic. And this election has shown that the people of India expect the Opposition to defend the Constitution.”
Several Opposition leaders also brought up past mass suspensions of MPs in their congratulatory messages.
"A lot has been done. In five years, you have done very good work. But when 150 of my colleagues were suspended, we were all saddened. So, it should be an effort to see that you do not think of suspension in the next 5 years. We are always ready for dialogues," said NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief added, "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."
This historic election marked only the third instance since India’s Independence that the Lok Sabha Speaker was elected via a contest. The Congress fielded its veteran eight-time MP K Suresh as a challenger after the government sought consensus from Opposition parties. Despite garnering 232 votes, the numbers overwhelmingly favoured Om Birla, with 297 MPs supporting him from the NDA.
Traditionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker is chosen through consensus. This time, despite the government’s outreach to secure support, the issue of appointing a Deputy Speaker from the Opposition remained unresolved. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had conditioned support for Birla on appointing an Opposition MP as Deputy Speaker, a request the government did not entertain at present.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju clarified, “We sought their support for the Speaker’s election, but they linked it to the Deputy Speaker’s post. The processes for electing both are distinct and choosing a Deputy Speaker comes after selecting the Speaker.”
Yesterday, Gandhi hit out at the government, alleging inconsistencies between their rhetoric of cooperation and their actions. He cited Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's outreach to Opposition parties, noting that promises of follow-up were unmet.
“Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and asked him to extend support... The entire Opposition said we would support but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker should be from our side. Rajnath Singh said he would call back... but he has not yet...The PM is asking for cooperation but our leader is getting insulted,” he said.
It’s worth noting that the Deputy Speaker’s post, traditionally held by an Opposition MP, remained vacant in the previous Lok Sabha. In the preceding Lok Sabha, the BJP had nominated its ally AIADMK’s M Thambi Durai for this role.