Lok Sabha Speaker Election: Rajnath Singh, KC Venugopal Talks Break Down Over Opposition’s Demand

The Congress-led Opposition defied parliamentary conventions by nominating K Suresh for the Lok Sabha Speaker election. Congress leader KC Venugopal and DMK’s TR Baalu met with BJP leader and union minister Rajnath Singh just before announcing their decision.

Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh explained that consensus talks failed because Venugopal and TR Baalu demanded that the Deputy Speaker post be given to the Opposition in exchange for supporting the NDA’s candidate, Om Birla. Singh criticized the Opposition for setting conditions and applying pressure, stating, “This does not work in a democracy.”

Union minister and BJP MP Piyush Goyal echoed this sentiment, accusing Venugopal and Baalu of trying to “dictate terms.” Goyal argued that the Speaker should represent the entire House, not any specific party, and that such conditions do not align with Lok Sabha traditions.

The INDIA bloc’s nominee, K Suresh, said the Congress waited until 11:50 am, just ten minutes before the deadline, for the government’s response. “I have filed my nomination. It is the party’s decision, not mine. There is a convention in Lok Sabha that the Speaker will be from the ruling party and the Deputy Speaker will be from the opposition… Deputy Speaker is our right. But they are not ready to give it to us,” Suresh stated.