Speaker of the House Live Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to move a motion in the Indian House of Representatives on Wednesday to elect Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Om Birla as Speaker.
India’s Lok Sabha elections will be held on Wednesday for the first time in decades after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government and the Congress-led opposition failed to agree on a candidate. The country has only held elections for Lok Sabha three times before – in 1952, 1967 and 1976.
Traditionally, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha are elected by agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. The elections are contested between Om Birla, a three-term MP from Kota, Rajasthan, of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term MP from Mavelikara, Kerala, who is the longest-serving member of the 18th Lok Sabha, of the Indian National Congress. Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the main opposition Indian National Congress have instructed their members to be present in the Lok Sabha from 11 am on Wednesday until the end of business.
On the first day of the 18th session of the Lok Sabha, 262 newly elected members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were sworn in. The remaining 281 new members, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, will take oath today. The Speaker election is scheduled for Wednesday.
Latest highlights:
- The NDA had rejected the Indian Union’s request to give the vice-chairman’s post in exchange for supporting the NDA candidate.
- Initially, the Indian Union demanded the post of Vice-Speaker, but after the BJP did not take a stand, the Indian Union nominated K. Suresh of the Indian National Congress for the post of Speaker.
- K. Suresh of the Indian Block is the longest serving Member of Parliament with 29 years of tenure. He will be elected for the eighth time in the Lok Sabha elections from Mavelikkara (Kerala) in 2024. He has contested from the seat four times so far. Apart from his stint as a Member of Parliament, he has held key positions in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and is its Chairman. He was also the House Chief Secretary of the Indian National Congress in the 17th Lok Sabha.
- Drupadi Murmu will address both the Houses of Parliament on June 27. After the speech, both the Houses will debate and pass the motion of thanks. PM Modi is expected to respond to the debate in both the Houses next week.
Check out all the updates here:
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 10:25 AM
Lok Sabha Live Coverage: Indian National Congress Spokesperson Surendra Rajput speaks about Lok Sabha polls
Regarding Rajput’s election as Chairman, Indian National Congress spokesman Surendra Rajput said, “K Suresh is our candidate. We nominated our candidate to protect democracy, multi-party democratic system from BJP atrocities. They did not want to give the Vice Chairman position to the Opposition. They were just talking and we are confident that the democratic forces will elect K Suresh. We are working hard on the elections. At this point in time, no one knows the country better than Rahul Gandhi. He has travelled to every nook and corner of the country. He knows the farmers, the youth, the workers and the housewives. As Leader of the Opposition he will raise their issues in Parliament.”
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 10:23 AM
Lok Sabha Speaker Live: NDA Congress candidate Om Birla offers prayers at his residence
NDA’s Lok Sabha Speaker candidate Om Birla is seen offering prayers at his home.
Today, the election for the Speaker of the Indian Lok Sabha will be held.
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 10:08 AM
Lok Sabha Speaker LIVE: ‘It’s good for all of us…’, see what Rijiju said about Lok Sabha Speaker elections
Regarding the election of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “…it would be better for all of us if we elect the Speaker unanimously. I think there is still time and we will appeal to the Indian National Congress once again, but if we are forced to have elections we will be ready…”
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 9:58 AM
Speaker Live: Indian National Congress MP Manickam Tagore speaks about taking over as Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Regarding the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore of the Indian National Congress said, “We wanted to reach a consensus and follow the parliamentary procedure, tradition that was followed earlier. Atal followed that methodology and gave the post of Deputy Speaker to the Opposition. Manmohan Singh also followed it. Modi has refused to follow it for the last 10 years. The Indian Union was forced to nominate a candidate. We have nominated a Dalit leader. We expect social justice to prevail. The BJP and its allies are always against Dalits. We have seen it at all levels, it is the RSS mentality. We wanted to take that fight to Parliament. Parliament needs dialogue and discussion but the government’s attitude is very arrogant.”
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 9:35 AM
Speaker Live: Indian National Congress MP Pramod Tiwari speaks about taking over as Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Regarding the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said, “The BJP is responsible for this. The elections are being held out of their lust for power and their intention to crush democracy by force. If traditions and norms were followed, the Speaker post would have been won unopposed by the BJP and the Vice Speaker post would have been won by the Congress and the Indian Union. But the BJP does not believe in democracy. They have broken that tradition. So this is our democratic protest. We will not let them win easily. We will raise our voice for the traditions of democracy.”
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 9:24 AM
Lok Sabha Speaker Live: BJP spokesman CR Kesavan speaks about Lok Sabha Speaker elections
BJP spokesman CR Kesavan told PTI, “The Indian National Congress Party and the INDI alliance will face the first humiliating defeat in a long list of defeats in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. It has now become very clear that the party is trying to force the Speaker elections and sacrifice K Suresh on the altar of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. They have made K Suresh a scapegoat in an election which they are sure to lose as they wanted to pave the way for Rahul Gandhi to become Leader of the Opposition. The Indian National Congress has repeatedly flouted established democratic norms, disrespected, denigrated and upheld our constitutional system and customs.”
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 9:21 AM
Lok Sabha Speaker Live: NDA figures give Om Birla edge over K Suresh
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Om Birla has the support of 293 MPs in the election for Speaker of the Lok Sabha, giving him a huge advantage over his rival K. Suresh of the Indian National Congress. This election will be the fourth time in history that the Speaker will be elected by vote, breaking the tradition of consensus-based nomination. Representing the India Bloc, K. Suresh faces a tough situation today. Om Birla not only has the support of the NDA’s 293 MPs, but he may also have the support of four YSRCP MPs and an independent.
read more.
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 8:46 AM
Speaker of the House Live Coverage: Indian Block Speaker candidate K. Suresh of the Indian National Congress
K Suresh, a Congress MP and LS Indian Bloc chairman candidate, told ANI, “Numbers are not an issue, the only issue is convention. The ruling NDA has broken convention. That is why we are fighting (the elections).”
Regarding the TMC’s “unilateral decision” remark, he added, “The whole thing was resolved yesterday evening. Their leaders Derek O’Brien and Kalyan Banerjee attended the Indian Alliance meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence last night. We explained the situation and they have understood the situation and will cooperate with us.”
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 8:15 AM
Lok Sabha Session LIVE: Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi sworn in as Lok Sabha Speaker
Indian National Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday hailed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appointment as Leader of the Opposition in the Lower House, saying that with him as the voice of the people, the Congress party would truly reflect the aspirations of the last remaining people.
The Indian National Congress on Tuesday announced that its Raebareli MP Rahul Gandhi will become Leader of the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha, ending a decade-long drought since 2014.
“In the 18th Indian Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi will be their voice and the People’s Congress will truly reflect the aspirations of the last remaining people,” Kharge wrote on X.
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Wednesday, June 26, 2024 7:32 AM
Lok Sabha session live: NDA’s Om Birla and India’s K Suresh contest for Lok Sabha Speaker’s post
The race pits BJP’s Om Birla, a three-time MP from Kota in Rajasthan, against Indian National Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term MP from Mavelikkara in Kerala who holds the record for being the longest-serving member of the 18th Lok Sabha.
