Om Birla vs K Suresh: Why This Lok Sabha Speaker Election is Not The First | Explained

Lok Sabha Speaker: After many failed attempts to reach a consensus between the government and the Opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Om Birla will fight it out with Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh for the Lok Sabha Speakers’ post. The voting is set to take place on Wednesday, June 26th. 

For the unversed, Birla served as Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha and if he wins he would be the first person to get the post for the second term in 25 years. On the other hand Suresh is an eight-time MP from Kerala. 

By convention, if the ruling party gets the Speaker’s post, then the Deputy Speaker is chosen from the Opposition. The Congress is adamant to contest for the post after it gained strength in the Lok Sabha post the election results.

A look back at the history when elections for speakers were conducted 

The election for the post of Speaker occurred six times between 1925 and 1946. In 1925, the first elections for the Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the Imperial Legislative Council of British India, took place on August 24. Vitthalbhai J Patel from the Swaraj Party became the first non-official member to win the election, defeating T Rangachariar by a narrow margin of two votes with 58 votes to Rangachariar's 56.

Patel was re-elected unanimously in 1927 on January 20 for his second term. He resigned on April 28, 1930, to join Mahatma Gandhi's Civil Disobedience Movement. Sir Muhammad Yakub then won the Speaker's election on July 9, 1930, securing 78 votes against Nand Lal's 22.

In 1935, Sir Abdur Rahim was elected Speaker of the Fifth Assembly on January 24, receiving 70 votes compared to TAK Sherwani's 62. Rahim served for over 10 years as the Fifth Assembly's tenure was extended due to constitutional changes and World War II.

The final election for the Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly occurred in 1946 on January 24, with Congress leader GV Mavalankar winning against Cowasjee Jehangir by a narrow margin of three votes. Mavalankar's complete vote count was not mentioned in the provided text.

Speakers of the Lok Sabha After 1952 

After the first general elections in 1952, the role of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha evolved through several notable figures.

GV Mavalankar (1952-1956)

Mavalankar continued as the Speaker of the newly constituted Lok Sabha after defeating Shankar Shantaram More of the Peasants and Workers Party of India.

MA Ayyangar (1956-1962)

India's first Deputy Speaker in 1956, MA Ayyangar, assumed the Speaker's role for the second Lok Sabha after Mavalankar's tenure. During his term, the Dowry Prohibition Act of 1961 was passed, and he later served as the fifth Governor of Bihar (1962-1967).

GS Dhillon (1962-1975)

GS Dhillon, from the Indian National Congress, succeeded N Sanjeeva Reddy in 1969 and continued as Speaker through the fifth Lok Sabha until December 1, 1975, resigning during the Emergency.

Baliram Bhagat (1976-1977)

In 1976, Baliram Bhagat became Speaker amid protests during the Emergency, serving until 1977. He later held the position of Minister for External Affairs under Rajiv Gandhi from 1985 to 1986.

Balram Jakhar (1980-1989)

Balram Jakhar presided over the seventh and eighth Lok Sabhas, completing two full terms. He was prominent in Rajasthan's Jat politics during the 1980s.

GMC Balayogi (1998-2002) 

GMC Balayogi, from the TDP, became Speaker of the 12th Lok Sabha. Tragically, his term ended with his death in a helicopter crash on March 3, 2002. He chaired numerous committees and was actively involved in parliamentary groups during his tenure.

Lok Sabha polls 2024 results 

The INDI bloc won 233 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 293 seats to retain power for the third consecutive term. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 16 seats and Janata Dal (U) with 12 seats are the biggest allies of the BJP which won 240 seats.