Lok Sabha Session 2024 Live Updates: Bharatiya Janata Party MP Om Birla was on Wednesday elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker through a voice vote on a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Welcoming Birla back in the Speaker’s Chair, Opposition leaders hoped for bipartisan approach in the House while Birla said he was looking forward to fewer disruptions and meaningful discussions. However, it was his minute-long statement condemning the imposition of Emergency in India soon after being back at the Chair sparked an uproar in the House by Opposition leaders. The session also saw Rahul Gandhi’s debut as the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha with some sharp remarks on the Speaker’s functioning and a reenergised Opposition.
Who is the speaker of Lok Sabha currently?
BJP MP Om Birla was re-elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday, June 26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi moved a motion seeking Birla’s appointment as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha. The motion, seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was put to a voice vote and pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab declared Birla as the Speaker of the Lower House.
Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024 HIGHLIGHTS: Updates on Lok Sabha Speaker election as it happened.
Congress on Tuesday announced that Rahul Gandhi, MP from Raebareli, will be the Leader of the Opposition in the 18th Lok Sabha. This ends the 10-year period since 2014 when there was no Leader of the Opposition in the Lower House.
Reacting to Om Birla’s nomination for the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, BJD MP Muzibullah Khan expressed disappointment, stating that they had anticipated pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab to be chosen due to his vast experience. Khan criticized the NDA for being unfair to Odisha, which provided 20 MPs to the BJP, and had hoped for at least four ministries and the Speaker position for Odisha MPs. While Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram received ministries, Khan noted that they expected more representation. He emphasized that the BJD will continue to advocate for Odisha’s issues in Parliament and serve as a strong opposition, with their leader Naveen Patnaik granting them autonomy in their actions.
To become the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, a candidate must get votes from more than half of the 543 members of the Lok Sabha. Now NDA has 293 MPs whereas the Opposition has 234 MPs. This gives a clear majority to Om Birla, who might become the Lok Sabha Speaker for the second term.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Lok Sabha Speaker Election 2024. This is the first time since 1946 that elections are being held for the Lok Sabha Speaker post. Stay tuned with us as we bring you live updates on the candidates, voting process, and results as they happen.
The Lok Sabha Speaker election was necessitated after a breakdown of talks between the BJP and Congress over consensus on the NDA’s nominee for the post. The Congress said Opposition would back Om Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker only if it is assured that the Deputy Speaker’s post. The BJP declined to accept the demand and said that the Deputy Speaker would be discussed with the Opposition when the need arises.