Congress MP K Suresh on Tuesday filed his nomination as an Opposition candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker post. The development comes moments after the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fielded BJP MP Om Birla as its candidate for the post. This would be the first election after decades for the Lok Sabha Speaker post in the Parliament.
Congress leader KC Venugopal, after meeting Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh, said that the government denied the Deputy Speaker post to the Oppositon prompting the Opposition to field K Suresh against Birala.
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi 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.
Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants constructive cooperation but has not returned party president Mallikarjun Kharge's call on the demand, as promised, which amounts to an insult.
"The entire opposition has said that they will support the government on the Speaker's post, but the convention is that the post of deputy speaker is given to the Opposition," he said.
"Union minister Rajnath Singh had called Mallikarjun Kharge ji and has said that he will return his call, but it has not been done. While Modi ji wants constructive cooperation they are insulting our leader by not returning the call," he told reporters.
"The intention of Modi is not clear as the post of Deputy Speaker should be with the opposition. But Narendra Modi ji says something and does something else," he alleged.
Suresh hit headlines after the ruling alliance chose BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-time MP. The Opposition slammed the government's move, saying traditionally, Suresh, an eight-term MP should have been given the post. Suresh, later, said that being the most senior Lok Sabha member, he ought to have been made the pro-tem Speaker as per convention.
Also read: Om Birla, who was Speaker in previous Lok Sabha, files nomination as NDA's candidate
