The deadlock over the Lok Sabha Speaker continued after Congress-led Opposition demanded the deputy Speaker's post. However, eventually, Kodikunnil Suresh was fielded against BJP's Om Birla for the Speaker post. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the opposition will support the government on the Lok Sabha Speaker's choice if the convention is followed and the deputy speaker's post is given to the opposition bloc.
Interestingly, the convention that the Speaker post is given to the rulling party and Oppositions gets to choose the candidate for deputy Opposition post is not followed in INDIA bloc-ruled state. From West Bengal to Tamil Nadu to Karnataka, the rulling party has held both the posts.
In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress' Biman Banerjee is the Speaker while Asish Banerjee who is also from TMC is the deputy Speaker. Similarly in Tamil Nadu, DMK's M Appavu and K Pitchandi hold the Speaker and deputy Speaker's positions respectively.
Karnataka's Speaker and deputy speakers are also from ruling Congress — UT Khader Fareed and RM Lamani. In Kerala, CPI(M)'s AN Shamseer and CPI's Chittayam Gopakumar are Speaker and deputy Speaker respectively
While Congress' Gaddam Prasad Kumar is Telangana Speaker, Rabindra Nath Mahto is Jharkhand's Speaker. There are no deputy Speakers in the states. In Punjab, Kultar Singh Sandhwan is the speaker and Jai Krishan Singh is the deputy Speaker. Both are from AAP.
Delhi also has AAP's Speaker and deputy speaker Ram Niwas Goel and Rakhi Birla. In Himachal Pradesh, Congress' Kuldeep Singh Pathania and Vinay Kumar are Speaker and deputy Speaker.
Birla vs Suresh
BJP's Om Birla will fight it out with Kodikunnil Suresh of the Congress for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post after efforts to reach a consensus between the government and the opposition failed on Tuesday. The voting will take place on Wednesday. Both Birla and Suresh filed their nominations as NDA and INDIA bloc candidates, respectively. While, Birla served as Speaker in the previous Lok Sabha as well and if he wins he would be the first person to get the post for the second term in 25 years, Suresh, an eight-time MP from Kerala, said it is not about winning or losing, but about a convention that Speaker will be of ruling party and deputy speaker will be of opposition.
