New Delhi, June 25: A day before the election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a three-line-whip to its MPs to remain present in the House tomorrow from 11 a.m. onwards. The election for the post of the Lok Sabha speaker will be held tomorrow. Earlier today, the Congress party also issued a three-line-whip to its MPs to be present in the House tomorrow.
Having failed to reach a consensus on the appointment of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Om Birla, the opposition INDIA bloc has nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the post of Lok Sabha speaker. The opposition had been demanding the post of Deputy Speaker, however, with no clarity forthcoming from the BJP, the INDIA bloc has put forward Congress MP K Suresh's name for the Speaker's post. Lok Sabha Speaker Election To Be Held for First Time Since Independence As Government-Opposition Consensus Fails.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate) but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the Opposition."
Further elaborating on discussions between Rajnath Singh and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul also criticised the treatment of opposition leaders, alleging disrespect. Who Is Om Birla? Who Is K Suresh? Know All About the BJP-Led NDA and INDIA Bloc's Candidates for the First Lok Sabha Speaker Election Since Independence.
"Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the Opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. 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. 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 said.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab is serving as the pro-tem speaker. The elections for the speaker's post will be held on June 26. The NDA, which commands 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, holds a clear majority, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs.