Om Birla is NDA's pick for LS Speaker, may be first BJP leader to serve coveted post twice

Jaipur, June 25 (IANS) Om Birla, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Rajasthan’s Kota-Bundi, on Tuesday, filed his nomination after the NDA announced him as the official candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post. Birla, a three-time MP, served as Speaker during Modi 2.0 tenure.

If Birla is elected Lok Sabha Speaker in the Modi government again, he will be the first BJP leader to serve the coveted position for the second consecutive time.

The late Balram Jakhar of the Congress has the record of being the only Lok Sabha Speaker to be elected twice in a row, three and a half decades ago. Jakhar completed both his terms from 1980 to 1985 and 1985 to 1989.

Leaders like G.M.C. Balayogi, and P.A. Sangma became Lok Sabha Speaker twice but did not complete the full 5-year term.

If Birla is elected Speaker, Rajasthan will once again hold the top post in both Houses as Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Party sources said that the central leadership did a lot of homework to bring in the formula of four ministers and one Lok Sabha Speaker from Rajasthan.

A consensus was reached in NDA on the name of Birla. Rajnath Singh and some senior leaders also tried to make a consensus on his name among the leaders of opposition parties.

Birla made several significant decisions as Speaker during Modi 2.0's tenure.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday morning, Rahul Gandhi said that he would support the NDA candidate, but at the last moment, the opposition also announced its candidate.

Congress MP K Suresh is now the candidate of the INDIA Bloc for the Speaker’s post. Election for the same will be held on Wednesday.