New Delhi:

Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh – a late entrant in the Lok Sabha Speaker race – has accused the government of “breaking convention” regarding the naming of an opposition leader as the Deputy Speaker of the House. “We tried for a consensus but the ruling party… they are not ready. Consensus means, if we support Speaker, then they should give Deputy’s post to opposition,” he told NDTV.

Mr Suresh was also asked about the futility of contesting an election for the Speaker’s position – given s/he is elected by simple majority and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance can count, potentially on over 300 votes. “Numbers are not the point. Winning or losing is a different matter.”

“The point is, there is a convention in Lok Sabha… a convention the government is breaking. There is a system for the Speaker’s post (referring to the opposition’s argument that the Deputy Speaker needs to be from a non-ruling party to ensure balance) and that has been broken…” he told NDTV.

Mr Suresh also rubbished the BJP-led NDA’s claim the opposition is indulging in “pressure tactics”.

“We are not pressurising… we are only asking for our right. Deputy Speaker is the opposition’s right… that is all we are doing. If they are not ready to do even that…” he said shrugging his shoulders.

Mr Suresh also referred to the row over the Pro Tem Speaker’s post, which the Congress and the opposition had expected would be handed to him given his status as one of the senior-most MPs.

There was drama in Parliament this morning after the BJP-led NDA government reached out to the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc to build consensus to re-appoint Kota MP Om Birla as Speaker.

READ | Government vs Opposition On Speaker, First Contest In Decades

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met INDIA bloc leaders, including the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, and were the opposition wanted the Deputy Speaker’s post.

READ | In Speaker Row, Rajnath Singh’s Call, Congress’ Deputy Reply

Sources, however, told NDTV the BJP said a decision on his deputy would be taken later.

The opposition, however, refused to play ball and, as the clock ticked down to the noon deadline, whispers emerged that the Congress’ K Suresh would be offered as an alternative to Om Birla.

And so it happened; as visuals showed senior leaders from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance accompanying Mr Birla to file his papers, it was confirmed that Mr Suresh had submitted his name.

This means, for the first time in decades, there will be a formal election to pick the Speaker.

READ | Om Birla To Be Speaker Again, BJP-Led Govt Sticks To Continuity

Meanwhile, in the inevitable back-and-forth that followed the opposition’s decision, BJP sources told NDTV efforts were made to build consensus but the opposition responded with “pressure politics”.

Sources said the Congress’ KC Venugopal and TR Baalu of Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK insisted on a commitment from the BJP – one to the effect the Deputy Speaker would be an opposition MP.

Earlier, while the INDIA bloc was waiting on the BJP’s response, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi referred to media reports that quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the opposition to work “constructively”.

“Today newspapers reported that PM Modi said the opposition should cooperate constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and asked him to extend support… entire opposition said we will support but convention is Deputy Speaker should be from our side. Rajnath Singh said he would call back… but he has not yet…PM is asking for cooperation but our leader is getting insulted…”

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New Delhi:

The BJP and the Congress have gone to the mattresses, again.

This time the two are fighting over the appointment of BJP leader and seven-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro Tem Speaker, a post active only for the first days of a new Parliament. The Pro Tem leader usually administers the oath to new MPs and conducts the election for a full-time Speaker.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce the new Speaker’s name on Wednesday, two days after the first sitting of the newly elected 18th Lok Sabha. Once the Speaker is elected – by a simple majority, meaning the BJP’s pick is unlikely to fail – the Pro Tem’s post ceases to exist.

The Congress – which was expecting Kodikunnil Suresh, a Dalit leader and an eight-time MP from Kerala, to be named Pro Tem – has criticised the BJP over the appointment of Mr Mahtab. Senior leader KC Venugopal called it “an attempt to destroy democratic and parliamentary norms…”

READ | BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahtab Is Pro Tem Speaker, Congress Says “Mistake”

“Government should explain why it chose to overlook K Suresh… what was the factor that disqualified him? Are there deeper issues… perhaps beyond just seniority,” he asked.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back Friday, stating “I have to say it with great regret… I feel ashamed that the Congress talks like this. I was hoping that this Lok Sabha session would start with a good mood… and that we can have a productive and co-operative parliament meet.”

“But what I have been seeing since yesterday, especially the issue that Congress has created regarding Pro Tem Speaker… Congress is doing so many wrong things it is trying to mislead people.”

“Congress said we violated the rules while appointing Pro Tem Speaker. I want to tell you… whatever steps were taken to were done according to the rules…Congress should not do politics…”

#WATCH | On BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab appointed pro tem Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, “…I have to say it with great regret that I feel ashamed that the Congress party talks like this. First of all, they created an issue about the… pic.twitter.com/iKwodsMRg3

— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024

Mr Rijiju said tradition dictates the longest continuously-serving MP is appointed as Pro Tem, and that the choice is Bhartruhari Mahtab, who won Cuttack from 1998 to 2019 as part of ex-Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s BJD before jumping to the BJP this year to win a seventh consecutive term.

Sources told NDTV Mr Mahtab is also being considered for the full-time post.

READ | Speaker Name On June 26, Odisha, Andhra Leaders On List: Sources

Meanwhile, Mr Suresh and four others – the DMK’s TR Baalu, the Trinamool’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and the BJP’s Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Kulaste – have been appointed to assist Mr Mahtab.

Mr Rijiju told press the selection of a Pro Tem Speaker is based on the ‘father of the House’ concept from the British parliament, in which the longest continuously-serving MP is given the title.

It was in line with that custom that Mr Mahtab was chosen as Pro Tem, Mr Rijiju said as he also criticised the Congress for deriding the Odisha MP, who is one of the senior-most members.

There were, however, exceptions in 1956 and 1977, news agency PTI said. In ’56 Sardar Hukam Singh was named Pro Tem followed by DN Tiwari in ’77. Neither were then the senior-most members.

Responding to the Congress’ fierce attacks, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also acknowledged Mr Suresh as an eight-time MP but pointed to breaks in 1998 and 2004. “So it is not consecutive,” he said. Mr Mahtab, he underlined, had won Cuttack seven consecutive times.

READ | Who Will Be Lok Sabha Speaker? Big Question As Modi 3.0 Begins

Mr Rijiju also hit back at Mr Suresh’s claims that the appointment of the Odisha MP showed the BJP “will continue to bypass parliamentary procedure…” The Congress leader was referring to the election of Virendra Kumar Khatik in 2019; Mr Khatik then was a seven-time consecutive MP with wins from Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar between 1996 and 2004, and in Tikamgarh from 2009 to 2019.

In the 17th Lok Sabha there was also the BJP’s Maneka Gandhi, then an eight-time MP but with one break; she won Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit in 1989 (with the Janata Dal) and then lost in 1991 to the BJP’s Parashuram, before claiming seven straight Lok Sabha wins between 1996 and 2019.

Mr Rijiju pointed out Mrs Gandhi was not Pro Tem in 2019 due to the break.

Earlier the Congress’ Mr Suresh claimed Mrs Gandhi had, in fact, been offered the post but turned it down as she had not been made a Union Minister.

“The senior-most MPs then were myself and Khatik, who was chosen. This time too, we are senior-most. He was made a cabinet minister and therefore, automatically, as per Lok Sabha rules, I should have been made Pro Tem,” he said.

“My name was recommended but when the government sent recommendations to President Droupadi Murmu… my name was avoided,” he claimed.

READ | Lok Sabha Speaker’s Election Expected On June 26

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin June 24, with the new MPs taking oath.

With input from agencies

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