In rare fight for Speaker's post in 1952, candidate voted for his rival

Om Birla vs K Suresh would be only third time that Lok Sabha members will have to choose between two candidates

The election for the Speaker's post is likely to witness voting in the Lok Sabha for only the third time in the history of independent India when newly elected Lok Sabha members would on Wednesday choose between Om Birla of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and K Suresh of the Opposition INDIA bloc.

Voting to elect the Lok Sabha Speaker took place in 1952 and 1976. The voting took place in much more harmonious circumstances in 1952 but in an equally, if not more, acrimonious political state of affairs during the Emergency year of 1976. The 2024 contest, even if a foregone conclusion, is likely to be a much closer contest than the elections in 1952 and 1976 since the Opposition INDIA bloc has significant numbers in the Lok Sabha.

On May 15, 1952, the First Lok Sabha elected Congress' G V Mavalankar with 394 votes in his favour and 55 for his opponent, Peasant and Workers' Party of India's Shankar Shantaram More. Mavalankar had been in the Speaker's chair since 1946. It was a no-contest, and even More, a newcomer to Parliament, voted for Mavalankar. "In the best traditions of Parliament, a gracious custom prevails by which where two candidates are proposed for the Speakership, each candidate votes for the other candidate. I have observed that custom by voting for you," said More.

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In 1967, Tenneti Viswanatham contested the election against Congress nominee Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy. The House elected Reddy, who received 278 votes in his favour and 207 against.

In 1976, the term of the Fifth Lok Sabha was extended by a year. On December 1, 1975, Gurdial Singh Dhillon resigned as Speaker. He was sworn in the same day as the Minister for Shipping and Transport in the Union Cabinet, according to his profile on the Lok Sabha website. The Congress fielded Baliram Bhagat for the post of Speaker, and the Opposition fielded Jana Sangh's Jagannathrao Joshi. Bhagat was elected Speaker by 344 votes in favour and 58 against him.

In 1998, the then Congress leader Sharad Pawar had moved a motion to elect P A Sangma as the Speaker, which the House rejected. After which, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee moved a motion to elect Telugu Desam Party (TDP)’s G M C Balayogi as the Lok Sabha Speaker, which was adopted.

If he gets elected, Birla will be only the fifth Speaker to have the opportunity to chair two Lok Sabhas. Others to have done so are GMC Balayogi, Balram Jakhar, Gurdial Singh Dhillon, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, and M A Ayyangar (see box).

MPs who served as Speakers of more than one Lok Sabha:

G M C Balayogi: 12th Lok Sabha (March 24, 1998 to October 19, 1999) and 13th Lok Sabha (from October 22, 1999 to until his death on March 3, 2002)

Balram Jakhar: 7th Lok Sabha (January 22, 1980 to January 15, 1985) and 8th Lok Sabha (January 16, 1985 to December 18, 1989)

Gurdial Singh Dhillon: 4th Lok Sabha (August 8, 1969 to March 17, 1971) and 5th Lok Sabha (March 22, 1971 to December 1, 1975)

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy: 4th Lok Sabha (March 17, 1967 to July 19, 1969) and 6th Lok Sabha (March 26, 1977 to July 13, 1977)  

M A Ayyangar: 1st Lok Sabha (March 8, 1956 to May 10, 1957) and 2nd Lok Sabha (May 11, 1957 to April 16, 1962)

Source: Lok Sabha website