Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, on Friday, emphasised the importance of selecting the Lok Sabha Speaker by consensus. His statements came amid suggestions that the Opposition Congress party is considering contesting the position.
“It is always better if there is a consensus,” Rijiju responded when asked if he had engaged with Opposition leaders regarding the selection of the Speaker, as reported by news agency PTI.
Rijiju stated that discussions with the NDA partners will take place before any decision is made. He added, “We will take steps very soon,” in response to questions about talks with Opposition leaders.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is set to begin on June 24, with the election for the Speaker scheduled for June 26.
Names of BJP leaders such as D Purandeswari, Radha Mohan Singh, and Bhartruhari Mahtab are surfacing as potential candidates for the Speaker’s role. Additionally, there is speculation that the current Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, could be re-elected for a second term.
According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, any member can submit a written notice to the Secretary-General, proposing another member for the Speaker’s office, by 12 noon on the day before the election. In this case, notices for the Speaker election can be submitted until noon on Tuesday, June 25.
The motion must be seconded by a third member and accompanied by a statement from the candidate expressing willingness to serve as Speaker if elected. A member cannot propose their own name or second a motion, as per the secretariat’s rules.
If any motion is adopted, the presiding officer (a pro-tem Speaker) will declare the member proposed in the successful motion as the chosen Speaker of the House.
Congress Should Not Do Politics: Kiren Rijiju On Bhartruhari Mahtab Appointed As Pro-Tem Speaker
On BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab appointed pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “We all want the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha to run peacefully. This is also the wish of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is a special session.”
“There is no business transaction in this special session… But what I have been seeing since yesterday, especially the issue that the Congress party has created regarding the pro-tem speaker and the Congress party is doing so many wrong things that it is trying to mislead people,” added, as reported by ANI.
“First of all, the Congress party said that we have violated the rules while appointing the pro-tem speaker. I want to tell you clearly that whatever steps have been taken to appoint the pro-tem speaker have been done according to the rules…Congress should not do politics,” Rijiju said.
