Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi shake hands as they welcome LS Speaker Om Birla

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shook hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they came together to welcome the newly-elected Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha, Om Birla, on Wednesday.

This came after the Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab announced Om Birla as a winner after the election for the Speaker's post.

Following this announcement, PM Modi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Leader of the Opposition in the Lower House of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, approached Om Birla and escorted him to the Speaker's chair.

During this, Rahul Gandhi shook hands with both PM Modi and Speaker Om Birla.

Congratulating Birla, Rahul said, "I would like to congratulate you on a successful election on behalf of the entire Opposition and the INDIA bloc. This House represents the voice of India's people, and you are the final arbiter of that voice. The government may have political power, but the Opposition also represents the people's voice. This time, the Opposition represents significantly more voice of the people than last year. The opposition would like to assist you in your work, I am confident you will allow us to speak in House."

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Opposition announced Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, making him the third member of the Gandhi family to hold this crucial position.

Before Rahul Gandhi, his mother, Sonia Gandhi, and his father, Rajiv Gandhi, served as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.