Om Birla Triumphs in Lok Sabha Speaker Race; Lok Sabha to Get Leader of Opposition after 10 Years

On Wednesday, Om Birla was elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha following a voice vote in the Lower House of Parliament.

The election saw an unusual contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Om Birla and Congress' Kodikunnil Suresh after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and the INDIA bloc of opposition parties failed to reach an agreement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi put forward the proposal to elect Mr. Birla as the Speaker, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant nominated Mr. Suresh for the position.

PM Modi Congratulates Om Birla

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Om Birla on his re-election as Lok Sabha Speaker and expressed hope that Mr. Birla would continue to lead the House with the same dedication as he had over the past five years.

"On behalf of the entire House, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you. I encourage new legislators to draw inspiration from your exemplary work as a lawmaker and look forward to your guidance in the coming years," stated Mr. Modi.

The Prime Minister emphasized that under Birla's leadership, the House achieved more than it had in the seventy years since independence. "Under your chairmanship, this House has accomplished tasks that remained unfinished in our 70 years of freedom. There are pivotal moments in the history of democracy, and this is one such instance where we have the opportunity to set new benchmarks," he declared. "I have no doubt that the achievements of the 17th Lok Sabha will bring pride to the nation."

Balram Jhakhar, who also served two terms as Speaker of the House, is mentioned by Mr. Modi.

Why was the Election Needed This Time?

Historically, India has never held actual elections for the Speaker of the lower house of Parliament. Since independence, the ruling party and the opposition have collaboratively chosen the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. This consensus-driven method has prevented the necessity of electoral contests for these roles.

However, discussions between the ruling NDA alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc broke down, resulting in both sides submitting nominations for the Speaker position.

Rahul Gandhi to be Leader of the Opposition

On June 25, the Indian National Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi would serve as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha. This decision followed a meeting with the INDIA bloc floor leaders at the official residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The announcement came on the same day Mr. Gandhi was sworn in for his sixth consecutive term as a Member of Parliament (MP).

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