New Delhi: Om Birla, BJP MP from Kota-Bundi, was elected by voice vote on Wednesday as the opposition did not insist on a poll, securing his second consecutive term as the Lok Sabha Speaker.
With this win, Birla became the first BJP leader to serve the coveted position for the second consecutive time. Protem Speaker of the House Bhartruhari Mahtab announced the election of Om Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker.
PM Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition in Lower House Rahul Gandhi took him to the chair and congratulated him after Birla assumed the post.
Before the elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with other NDA leaders, proposed to elect Om Birla for the post.
Meanwhile, on behalf of the Opposition alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Arvind Sawant proposed K. Suresh's name for the Speaker's post. The majority was, however, in the NDA's favour, with 297 MPs voting for Om Birla, while the Opposition got 232.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Birla was picked as the NDA's candidate for the Speaker's post. Union Minister Rajnath Singh and some senior leaders also tried to reach out to the leaders of opposition parties to reach a consensus on Birla's name.
Breaking a decades-old convention, BJP MP Om Birla and Congress lawmaker K Suresh on Tuesday filed nominations for the Speaker's election after the Opposition refused to back down on its demand for the Deputy Speaker's post. Notably, Om Birla made several significant decisions as Speaker during Modi 2.0's tenure.
Birla's political journey started in 1977 from student union elections which took him to the rank of Lok Sabha Speaker. Om Birla entered mainstream politics in 2003 by winning the assembly elections from the Kota seat.
Meanwhile, there is a festive atmosphere in Kota after Birla became Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time. While BJP workers are celebrating in Kota by bursting crackers and distributing sweets, Om Birla's family members are in Delhi.
Source: IANS