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With the deadline for nominations for the Speaker's position fast approaching, Congress MP K Suresh asserted that the Lok Sabha speaker should be elected unanimously.
He also accused the BJP of not taking the initiative to reach a consensus over the issue. "The Speaker should be elected unanimously...According to the tradition of the House, the Speaker is elected unanimously. The BJP is not discussing with the opposition; they have to take the initiative for consensus. Till now, they have not taken any initiative for consensus for the post of Speaker. If there is no election for the post of Speaker, then the Deputy Speaker will come to the opposition. The leaders of the INDIA alliance have already made their stand clear." If the INDIA bloc announces its candidate for the post, it will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha speaker and deputy speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. Although the BJP leaders remained tight-lipped about their nominee for the post, there are speculations that Om Birla, the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, could also be in the race again. Meanwhile, senior cabinet minister Rajnath Singh has been reaching out to opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, sources have said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has also been reaching out to opposition leaders. The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs. (ANI)
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