Parliament Speaker Election Live Updates: Please follow this space and keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates pertaining to the first-ever Speaker election set to take place during the 18th Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha is set to witness a rare election for the Speaker’s post, marking the first such event since 1976.
Congress member Kodikunnil Suresh has been nominated as the opposition candidate, challenging the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee Om Birla. This development follows Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for failing to assure the opposition of the Deputy Speaker’s post.
Historically, elections for the Speaker’s position were common prior to Independence. However, in the independent era of India, the position of the Lok Sabha’s presiding officer has only seen contests in 1952, 1967, and 1976.
In 1952, Congress member G V Mavalankar became the Lok Sabha Speaker after securing 394 votes against Shantaram More, who received 55 votes. The 1967 election saw Tenneti Viswanatham challenge Congress nominee Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, who won with 278 votes to Viswanatham’s 207.
The fifth Lok Sabha, which extended its duration by a year due to the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, saw Speaker G S Dhillon resign on December 1, 1975. Subsequently, Congress leader Baliram Bhagat was elected as the Speaker on January 5, 1976, receiving 344 votes against Jana Sangh leader Jagannathrao Joshi’s 58 votes.
In 1998, Congress leader Sharad Pawar’s motion to elect P A Sangma as Speaker was negatived. Following this, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s motion to elect TDP member G M C Balayogi as the Speaker was adopted. Balayogi later became the Speaker of the 13th Lok Sabha until his untimely death in a helicopter crash on March 3, 2002.
Since Independence, only a few have retained the Speaker’s post across subsequent Lok Sabhas. These include M A Ayyangar, G S Dhillon, Balram Jakhar, and G M C Balayogi. Notably, Jakhar served as Speaker for two consecutive terms, a unique distinction.
On Tuesday, as Congress nominated eight-term member Kodikunnil Suresh for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged the opposition to reconsider its decision. The forthcoming election promises to be a significant political event, given its rarity and the historical context surrounding it.
Rahul Gandhi expressed his disappointment, stating, “Rajnath Singh failed to give an assurance on the opposition party’s claim to the Deputy Speaker’s post.”
