Om Birla vs K Suresh: Govt, Opposition at Loggerheads For Speaker's Post in First Contest Since 1946

New Delhi: For first time, Lok Sabha Speaker's post will witness an election after BJP-led NDA and Congress-led INDI alliance failed to reach a consensus. NDA picked BJP MP Om Birla as its nominee, while opposition fielded veteran Congress leer K Suresh. contest for Lok Sabha speaker post will take place at 11 AM on Wednesday. Both candidates, Om Birla and K Suresh have filed ir nomination papers for Speaker post. 

Initially, government and opposition appeared to have reached a consensus on Speaker post as Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress chief agreed to support government's pick for Speaker post, however, demanded that Deputy Speaker should be me from Opposition alliance. 

consensus collapsed after government was ‘non-committal’ on giving Deputy Speaker post to opposition, claimed sources. 

Lok Sabha Speaker Election: Updates

1. NDA nominee for Speaker post of Lok Sabha, Om Birla met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament House, today.
2. NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule was seen leaving residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi after attending meeting of Floor leers of INDIA alliance. 
3. BJP MP Tejaswi Surya said, "All efforts were me on part of NDA to arrive at a consensus but opposition opted a very confrontational attitude and inste of coming toger to elect a speaker unanimously, y have chosen to put up a candidate...I hope Om Birla will emerge victorious and he will continue his work of upholding democracy..." (with ANI inputs) 
4. Ahe of Speaker's elections in Parliament on Wednesday, BJP issued a three-line-whip to its MPs to remain present in House tomorrow. 
5. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi told ANI, “Speaker is not a party post, Speaker represents entire Parliament. Here majority should be respected, in many states, party, which is in power has a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker but y ( Opposition) want a decision should be taken on Deputy Speaker beforehand. We say that a decision should be taken on (post of) Speaker first. When matter of Deputy Speaker will come up, n it will be decided after sitting toger, re is no consensus on this ...” 
6. NCP-SCP Chief Shar Pawar said, "I have not discussed it with anyone, it is always practice that ruling party gets Speaker's post. Deputy Speaker's post used to go to opposition party but for last 10 years after getting more seats in Modi government, y have not accepted to give Deputy Speaker's post to opposition. We h a discussion with INDIA Alliance, in which I suggested that you people sitting in government should make Speaker's post an unopposed election, we agree that Speaker's post should be unopposed. This all could be decided today, I will come to know once I go re (Delhi)..."
7. Rajasthan Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena told ANI, " Lok Sabha speaker is always chosen by consensus... speaker will be from NDA alliance only but new practice started by Congress and opposition parties is very unfortunate..." 
8. Congress leer Imran Pratapgarhi said, “This government is completely anti-Dalit, that is why 8-time MP K Suresh, who is a Congress MP, was not me Protem Speaker earlier, in a way anti-Dalit face of government was exposed, work was not done as per Constitution and after that now opposition is saying that you give us post of deputy speaker, n government wants that opposition should be run as per its wish.” He ded, "Now you will not be able to suppress opposition at your behest. We all are standing with a copy of Constitution and Rahul ji's attitude, attitude of entire opposition is telling that you will have to work according to this book of Constitution, you will not run country as per your wish, country will run as per Constitution..."
9. Speaking about post of Speaker, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharwaj said, "According to old tritions, elections were never contested for post of Speaker as he was considered guardian of house... ruling party used to take post of Speaker and post of Deputy Speaker was given to Opposition... ruling party never thinks of cooperation and politics of confrontation started by BJP will continue"
10. On K Suresh's candidature for Lok Sabha Speaker, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee told ANI, “We were not contacted about this, re was no discussion. Unfortunately, this is a unilateral decision.” 
11. Congress leer Karti Chidambaram told ANI, " convention was that longest serving member would be Pro-tem Speaker... government refused to give that honour to senior member Kodikunnil Suresh... convention also says that position of Deputy Speaker will be given to opposition bloc. But y ran a Parliament last time in 17th Lok Sabha without a Deputy Speaker..."
12. Congress leer KC Venugopal on Tuesday said that Opposition was rey to unanimously support NDA candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker position on condition that it commit to giving post of Deputy Speaker to m.
13. “Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leer and I respect him. I have h a conversation with him thrice since yesterday,” said Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after consensus failed between NDA and INDI alliance on Lok Sabha speaker post. 
14. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “We h a conversation with all floor leers of Opposition regarding post of Speaker. Speaker is not for a party, it is for functioning of House. Speaker is elected unanimously. It is disheartening that Congress has nominated its candidate for Speaker. No election has ever taken place for post of Speaker. Congress put this condition that if y get post of Deputy Speaker y will support our candidate for Speaker's post. This give and take of posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker is not right...”
15. On INDI bloc fielding K Suresh for Lok Sabha post, Union Minister and BJP MP Piyush Goyal said, “In morning, Rajnath Singh ji wanted to discuss with Mallikarjun Kharge ji but he was busy so he said that Venugopal ji would talk to you. But after speaking with TR Baalu and KC Venugopal ji, old mentality that we will dictate terms was shown again that condition is that first decide who will be Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha and n support will be given to Speaker, we condemn this of politics...”
16. On his nomination for post of Lok Sabha Speaker, Congress MP K Suresh said, "I have filed my nomination. It is party's decision, not mine. re is a convention in Lok Sabha where Speaker will be from ruling party and Deputy Speaker will be from opposition... Deputy Speaker is our right. But y are not rey to give it to us. Till 11:50 am we were waiting for a response from government, but y did not give any response. That is why we filed nomination."
17. On Lok Sabha Speaker post, Union Civil Aviation Minister and TDP leer Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said, “It is not a good thing to keep conditions. Democracy does not work on conditions. And as far as Speaker election is concerned, whatever should have been done by NDA, y all did it. Specially Rajnath Singh ji, being a senior leer, reached out to everyone. He also reached out to opposition and told m that we are proposing Om Birla ji's name, so your help is needed in this. So when it was ir turn to help, y put up a condition that we would do it only if you gave us this (Deputy Speaker post). re was never a convention to support Speaker on a conditional basis...y want to do politics in this too...”