Om Birla to Be Lok Sabha Speaker as NDA, INDI Reach Consensus; Opp Demands Dy Speaker Post

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party and Kota MP Om Birla is likely to be re-elected as the Lok Sabha speaker as both the ruling-NDA and INDI alliance have reached consensus.  Om Birla on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he is all set to file his nomination as the National Democratic Alliance's candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post.

The Opposition is likely to support Om Birla's candidature and may not not name any candidate. Although, the Opposition has demanded the deputy speakers' post.The NDA candidate for the key parliamentary position will file his nomination on Tuesday, the day scheduled for the process.

Rajnath Singh's Move to Build Consensus

The BJP wished to continue the tradition of unanimously electing Lok Sabha speaker and with an aim to build consensus, Union Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Tuesday reached to the opposition leaders. Singh spoke to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, and DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Stalin among other opposition leaders in efforts to build a consensus.

Rajnath Singh pressed that the tradition of being elected unopposed should be maintained.

Opposition Demands Dy Speaker's Post

While the Opposition bloc has agreed to support NDA candidate in the speaker's election, it has demanded the deputy speaker's post. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also raised the demand for deputy speaker's post. “The entire Opposition said that we would support the Speaker but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition,” said Rahul Gandhi while speaking to reporters on Tuesday.

"Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet...PM Modi is asking for cooperation from Opposition but our leader is getting insulted..." he added.

"Everything will be out soon... The demand of the Opposition was that the Deputy Speaker (of the Lok Sabha) should be of the Opposition... Our party's opinion is also the same..." said Samajawadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav.

(This is a breaking copy)