Congress reacts on Om Birla’s election as Lok Sabha Speaker via voice vote

New Delhi: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) nominee Om Birla was on Wednesday elected as the Lok Sabha speaker for the second time through a voice vote. It is for the fifth time that a speaker will serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha. The opposition INDIA bloc, which had fielded eight-term Congress MP Kodikkunil Suresh against Birla for the Speaker’s post, did not press for a division vote in the House.

“I am telling you formally, we didn’t ask for division of votes…We didn’t ask for it because we found it appropriate that there be a consensus on the first today, that there be an atmosphere of consensus on the first day. This was a constructive step from our end. We could have asked for division (of votes),” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told ANI.

However, some opposition MPs objected to Birla’s election through a voice vote. “The rule says if any member of the House asks for division, the Pro-tem Speaker in this case has to allow for a division. You can clearly see and hear from the footage of Lok Sabha that several members of the Opposition camp sought a division and asked for a division to put the motion to vote and the motion was adopted without putting the motion to vote,” Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee said.

“This is a clear testament to the fact that the ruling dispensation, BJP does not have the numbers. This government is running without the numbers. It’s illegal, immoral, unethical and unconstitutional and people of the country have already shown them the door. It’s just a matter of time before they’re shown the door again,” the TMC leader added. TMC MP Kirti Azad, representing Bardhaman-Durgapur, said,”NDA did not have the numbers, and at least eight members asked them for a division… its video has emerged… but they finished with ayes! It is clear that the democracy is being strangled.”Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said,”As far as the election is concerned, when the Parliamentary traditions were disregarded, we registered our protest in a democratic manner – that the Deputy Speaker should be from Opposition. They didn’t do it…As far as division (of votes) is concerned, why did the ruling side and its allies not demand it?”