'Expect opposition's voice won't be crushed…': Rahul to speaker Birla
Newly appointed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday congratulated Om Birla on being elected as Lok Sabha speaker for the second time in a row. In a rare moment, Gandhi also walked up to Birla to congratulate him and shook hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before accompanying Birla to the Chair. Birla defeated Congress candidate K Suresh, who filed his nomination after the ruling party and opposition failed to reach a consensus.
Gandhi emphasizes duty to Constitution
"I would like to congratulate you on your successful re-election. On behalf of the entire opposition and the INDIA alliance [Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance], I congratulate you," said Gandhi. Gandhi also stressed the importance of trust-based cooperation between the government and opposition. He stated that while the government holds political power, the opposition also represents India's people's voice. He said that as speaker, Birla is the final arbiter of India's people's voice represented by the Lok Sabha.
PM Modi congratulates Birla, praises his work as parliamentarian
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav also congratulated Birla, saying there should be no prejudice and the opposition's voice should not be silenced. Meanwhile, PM Modi called it a "matter of honor" that Birla has been re-elected. He congratulated Birla on behalf of the entire House and expressed anticipation for his guidance over the next five years. In his address, Modi also praised Birla's work as a parliamentarian, suggesting it should serve as an inspiration for new Lok Sabha members.
Watch Akhilesh Yadav's congratulatory speech
Birla elected by voice vote
PM Modi moved the motion to elect Birla, which was adopted by voice vote, with the pro-tem speaker proclaiming that the Ayes have it. Historically, the Lok Sabha speaker and deputy speaker are elected through consensus between the government and the opposition. However, due to the deadlock between the Treasury and opposition benches this year, both the National Democratic Alliance and the INDIA fielded candidates. The NDA has 293 members in the 543-member Parliament, while the opposition has 234 MPs.
