NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JUNE 26
NDA candidate Om Birla was declared Lok Sabha Speaker for a second time, defeating INDIA bloc candidate Kodikunnil Suresh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi moved the motion to elect Birla while the opposition moved the motion to elect Suresh. The house adopted Modi’s motion with a voice vote.
राष्ट्र सेवा का अवसर प्राप्त होना मेरे लिए गर्व और गौरव का विषय है… https://t.co/yQqKF4vbb2
— Om Birla (@ombirlakota) June 26, 2024
PM Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accompanied Birla to the Chair after his re-election.
Modi, , Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi hail Birla’s chairmanship
Congratulating Birla, Modi said, “Respected Speaker, it is the good fortune of the House that you are occupying this chair for the second time. I congratulate you and the entire House”
It is a huge responsibility for you to sit on this post for the second time, Modi said.
“With your experience, we hope that you will guide us for the next 5 years. Becoming the Speaker for the second time is a record in itself. Balram Jakhar got the opportunity to serve as the Speaker for the second term after competing 5 years and today you are doing the same,” the PM added.
“The works that didn’t happen during 70 years of independence, were made possible by this House under your chairmanship,” Modi said, adding, “Several milestones come in the long journey of democracy. A few occasions are such when we receive the opportunity to establish milestones. I am very confident that the country will be proud of the achievements of the 17th Lok Sabha.”
In a rare moment of camaraderie, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in escorting Birla to the Speaker’s chair.
Congratulating Birla on behalf of the entire INDIA bloc, Rahul Gandhi said the opposition would like to assist him in doing his work and added that they want the House to function often and well.
“This House represents the voice of India’s people and you are the final arbiter of that voice. The government has political power but the opposition also represents the voice of India’s people and this time, the opposition represents significantly more voice of the Indian people than it did last time. The opposition would like to assist you in doing your work,” the Congress leader said.
“We would like the House to function often and well,” he added.
The Congress leader observed that it is very important that the voice of the opposition is allowed to be represented in this House. “We are confident that by allowing the opposition to speak, by allowing us to represent the people of India, you will do your duty of defending the Constitution of India.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too echoed similar sentiments as he said, “We expect voice of opposition will not be crushed and there will be no more expulsions.”
“The post that you are occupying has glorious traditions attached to it. We believe that this will continue without any discrimination and as Lok Sabha Speaker you will give equal opportunities and respect to every member and party. Impartiality is a great responsibility of this great position,” Yadav said.
“We expect that no public representative’s voice will be stifled, nor will an action like expulsion take place again. Your control is on the opposition but it should be on the ruling side too. The House should function on your signals and not the other way round. We stand with all your just decisions. I hope that you would respect Opposition as much as you respect the ruling dispensation and let them present their side,” he said, reported news agency ANI.
DMK leader T.R. Baalu said, “I only request you to be impartial, impartial and impartial.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “I want to congratulate Om Birla for his second term but it would be noted in history that there was a candidate against him. I want to remind the BJP that they would have to work according to the Constitution.”
With his election to the post, Birla achieves the rare distinction to be the Speaker of Lok Sabha for second term. Since Independence, only M.A. Ayyangar, G.S. Dhillon, Balram Jakhar and G.M.C. Balayogi have retained the post in the subsequent Lok Sabhas. Jakhar was the Speaker of the seventh and the eighth Lok Sabhas and holds the distinction of being the only presiding officer to complete two full terms.
While polls to the Speaker’s post were common before Independence, the position has witnessed contests only thrice in Independent India—1952, 1967 and 1976.
