BJP's Om Birla was chosen as Lok Sabha Speaker's post on Wednesday. A motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopted through voice votes. Pro-tem Speaker B Mahtab made the announcement after the opposition, which had proposed Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, did not press for votes to the motion.
"I announce Om Birla elected as the speaker," Mahtab said.
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. He has returned to the Lok Sabha for the third time from Kota in Rajasthan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, LoP Rahul Gandhi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accompanied Om Birla to the Chair.
By retaining the Kota seat in Rajasthan, Birla has become the first presiding officer to be re-elected to the Lower House in the last 20 years. Birla won the Kota parliamentary seat by a margin of more than 41,139 votes, thus becoming the first presiding officer in 20 years to be re-elected to the Lower House.
