Om Birla vs K Suresh: Congress, BJP issue whips for Lok Sabha MPs on Speaker election day

Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have issued whips to their respective MPs, requiring their presence in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, 26 June 2024, for the crucial Speaker's election. This is the third time Lok Sabha Speaker election will be held in post-Independence India. Before this, Lok Sabha Speaker elections were held in 1976 and 1952. 

The whip from Congress chief whip K Suresh urges all party members in the Lok Sabha to attend from 11.00 AM onwards and support the party's stance throughout the session. Suresh is the joint candidate representing the opposition INDIA bloc in the Speaker's election, where he will contest against NDA's Om Birla.

"Very important issue will be taken up in the Lok Sabha tomorrow i.e. Wednesday, 26 June 2024.

"All Members of Congress Party in the Lok Sabha are requested to kindly remain present in the House from 11:00 AM onwards till the adjournment of the House on 26 June 2024 without fail and support the Party stand," the whip issued by Congress chief whip K Suresh said.

Similarly, the BJP has also directed its MPs to be present for the Speaker's election, underlining the importance of their participation in this historic parliamentary event.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also issued a three-line-whip to its party MPs to remain in the Parliament tomorrow from 11 a.m. onwards during the election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker.

"Harish Balayogi, Whip of the Telugu Desam Party, has issued a three-line whip to all TDP Members of Parliament, mandating their presence and vote for the NDA candidate, Shri Om Birla, in the upcoming Speaker elections scheduled for June 26, 2024. All members are requested to gather in the Parliamentary office, Room Number 111-B, by 10:30 AM", read the official release.

The election of the Speaker is anticipated to be a pivotal moment in the current parliamentary session. Both alliances—NDA and INDIA—are rallying their members to ensure their representation and adherence to party directives during the proceedings.

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.

INDIA bloc candidate, MP from Mavelikkara in Kerala, K Suresh is currently the longest-serving Lok Sabha MP, as he has remained MP for 29 years.

The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, fielded Kota MP Om Birla as Speaker post candidate for a second term. The opposition INDIA bloc has 234 MPs in Lok Sabha.

TMC unhappy with INDIA bloc speaker candidate

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee criticized the decision to field Kodikunnil Suresh of the Congress as the joint nominee for the INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha Speaker election, calling it a unilateral move. Banerjee stated that the Trinamool Congress Party was not consulted before this decision.

Speaking to ANI about K Suresh's candidature for Lok Sabha Speaker, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee said, "We were not contacted about this, and there was no discussion. Unfortunately, this is a unilateral decision."