On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced that the Opposition’s INDIA bloc is prepared to support the BJP-led NDA government’s choice for Lok Sabha Speaker if the deputy Speaker’s post is given to the INDIA bloc. He mentioned that Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh had spoken to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to seek a consensus between the government and the Opposition. However, Singh has not yet responded to the Opposition’s request for the deputy Speaker position.
Gandhi highlighted, “The prime minister has asked for constructive cooperation from the Opposition. While we are willing to support the Speaker, it is customary for the Opposition to receive the deputy Speaker post. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge for support but has not followed up. PM Modi calls for cooperation, yet our leader is being disrespected.”
He further criticized PM Modi, saying that the government’s intentions are unclear and accused Modi of not genuinely seeking constructive cooperation. Gandhi reiterated, “If the convention is followed, we will fully support the Speaker’s election.”
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav echoed Gandhi’s sentiments, stating that his party shares the same opinion. Yadav added, “The demand from the Opposition is that the deputy Speaker should come from the Opposition.”
The nomination process for the Lok Sabha Speaker and deputy Speaker will take place on Tuesday, with the election scheduled for Wednesday, June 26. There is speculation that Om Birla, the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, may be nominated again.
Earlier, on Monday, several opposition leaders protested by holding copies of the Constitution outside Parliament. They expressed discontent over the appointment of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as pro-tem Speaker, arguing that the appointment deviated from the tradition of selecting the senior-most MP for the role. The Congress party also claimed that K Suresh, an eight-term member and Dalit leader, was unjustly overlooked for this temporary post.