BJP, allies to meet today to negotiate over new Lok Sabha Speaker
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New Delhi: The BJP’s allies and union ministers will meet today at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's Delhi home to resume negotiations over choosing the Lok Sabha speaker, NDTV reported citing sources.
Falling 32 seats short of majority, the BJP is not in a position to choose a candidate for the post on its own.
What with huge majority in 2014 and 2019, the saffron party picked Sumitra Mahajan and Om Birla respectively, unchallenged for the post.
The BJP, nevertheless the single-largest party in Parliament with 240 seats, relies on Nitish Kumar's JDU and Chandrababu Naidu's TDP to remain in power.
Though TDP has an eye on the post, the saffron party reportedly is not willing to give away the chair to allies, as Lok Sabha Speaker is elected by a simple majority of MPs voting.
It is reported citing sources that the BJP may well name key leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha--D Purandeshwari and Bhatruhari Mahtab—to the post.
D Purandeshwari, who worked with the TDP to defeat YSR Congress, is the BJP chief in Andhra Pradesh, while Bhatruhari Mahtab is a former member of Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal.
It is speculated that D Purandeshwari could emerge as the Speaker as she is the sister-in-law of Chandrababu Naidu alongside being the bridge between the BJP and TDP, according to NDTV. Meanwhile, reports claim that Om Birla could return to the post.
Nitish Kumar’s JDU declared last week that the party would support the BJP’s nominee.