Election of Lok Sabha Speaker: Opposition MPs Appeal for Impartiality to Om Birla

The opposition MPs, who supported the Congress’ Kodikunnil Suresh, emphasized several common concerns during the rare election for the post of the Speaker of the House. They urged the newly elected Speaker, Mr Birla, to ensure impartiality in overseeing the House’s proceedings and to allow ample time for their members to express their concerns and criticisms. The focus was also on the mass suspension of MPs the previous year, described by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor as a “betrayal of democracy.” The Congress’ Rahul Gandhi, as the Leader of the Opposition, delivered the first speech after the election and criticized the new Speaker, highlighting the importance of hearing the voice of the opposition in the functioning of the House.

He was followed by Akhilesh Yadav, expressing expectations that the opposition’s voice would not be silenced, and urging for fair decision-making that does not solely restrict the opposition. Subsequently, representatives from the Trinamool and DMK also appealed for impartiality and stressed on the significance of maintaining parliamentary democratic practice, referencing the mass suspension of MPs from the previous year. Even though the Congress fielded its member K Suresh in the contest, the votes were in favor of Mr Birla, with 297 votes compared to the opposition’s 232.