Contentious Lok Sabha Speaker Election Sparks Debate

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee criticized the handling of the Lok Sabha speaker election, alleging that the pro-tem speaker did not allow a vote division, revealing a lack of government support. Opposition voices echoed similar concerns, while NDA leaders dismissed these claims, asserting their strength and confidence.

On Wednesday, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee lambasted the handling of the Lok Sabha speaker election, asserting that the pro-tem speaker's refusal to allow a division of votes exposed the ruling government's numerical inadequacy. Banerjee highlighted that parliamentary rules mandate a division if any member requests it, a condition met by several opposition MPs.

Banerjee stated, "The motion was adopted without a vote, presenting clear evidence that the BJP-led government lacks the numbers required to govern legally, morally, and constitutionally. It's simply a matter of time before they're unseated by the public once again."

In a session dominated by intense debate, NDA nominee Om Birla was elected as Lok Sabha speaker via voice vote. Despite the opposition fielding eight-term Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh, the pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab did not entertain their call for a division of votes.

Responding to the development, another TMC MP, Kalyan Banerjee, claimed the procedural lapse was to conceal the NDA's insufficient support. Contrarily, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut defended the traditional avoidance of elections for the speaker's post, though underscoring the existence of a robust opposition.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan refuted the opposition's allegations, asserting the NDA's strength and implying that opposition MPs might have defected to support Birla if a division had been called.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)