New Delhi: Om Birla, the BJP MP from Kota-Bundi in Rajasthan, is set to be the new Speaker of the Lok Sabha after he was nominated as the NDA’s candidate for the post Tuesday.
The BJP-led NDA has 353 MPs in the Lower House that has a total strength of 545 and, therefore, Birla’s election is just a mere formality.
The role of the Speaker is of utmost importance in the Lok Sabha and helps in its smooth functioning. The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Lower House and rules it by giving permission to introduce Bills, motions and resolutions such as a motion of no-confidence, adjournment or a motion of censure. The Speaker also decides the agenda of discussion in the House.
Birla, who will replace veteran BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan, seems to be an unusual choice for the Speaker’s post for a number of reasons. Here’s why.
- A quick analysis of Lok Sabha Speakers since 1952 shows that most of them were elected to the Lower House three to five times. Birla defies this trend as he is a two-time MP.
- Eleven out of 16 Speakers held a degree in Law. Birla again bucks this trend as he has an M.Com degree from Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer, Rajasthan.
- In terms of age too, Birla defies the norm. Most of the previous Speakers were aged between 60 and 70 years, but Birla is 56 years old.
Birla is second Speaker from Rajasthan
Birla is set to be the second speaker from Rajasthan — the first being late Congress veteran Balram Jakhar.
Jakhar was the longest-serving Lok Sabha Speaker. He held the post from 22 January 1980 to 15 January 1985 and then again from 16 January 1985 to 18 December 1989. He is the only Lok Sabha Speaker to win from two different parliamentary constituencies — Ferozepur and Sikar.
Speakers down the ages
- Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP) G.M.C. Balayogi, who was the Speaker during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 13-month government in 1998-99, was the youngest Speaker to assume office at the age of 46.
- Neelam Sanjiva Reddy has the rare distinction of being elected Speaker from two different political parties — Congress (1967 to 1969) and Janata Party (1977).
- Lok Sabha so far has had two women Speakers — Birla’s predecessor Mahajan and her predecessor Meira Kumar.
- Only two Lok Sabha Speakers have been from the Scheduled Caste so far — Balayogi and Kumar.
- Congress had the most number of Speakers at 10. The BJP, Shiv Sena, TDP and CPI(M) had one Speaker each and the Janata Party three.
- Despite sending 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, none of the Speakers so far have been from Uttar Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh (3), Punjab (2), Maharashtra (2) and Bihar (2) together have given Lok Sabha more Speakers than the rest of India.
Also read: Om Birla, the new Lok Sabha Speaker has RSS roots and was part of Ram temple movement
Another rotten eggs thrown over the media faces! Headlines are one thing, contents is altogether different one! When these people will learn, one wonders!
Most irreverent article having no relevance to the headlines proving once again the lutyens media was clean bowled.
RSS roots , not old diehard,young….could bepoints in his favour.
One reason why the mainstream media is so anti Modi is because the mainstay of their reporting, namely source based reporting, or to put is crudely leaks from those in power, is sorely missing under the present dispensation. Hence journalists have time and again been wrong footed, whether in predicting election results or who would be the next President, or Minister or, in this case, the Speaker. I am sure that the author of this piece knows just how shallow this so called analysis is. But he is just as clueless as us, the readers, but he is unable to admit it.
So you conclude Times of India, Republic TV, Zee News, India TV, ABP News, News 18 are not main stream media
Unusual is the unique style of Modiji that maha pandits of journalists lack the political prediction. Everyone beyond political parties got excited. Betenoire Print is too far behind to guess Modiji.
What a bullshit… Don’t know who edited this news… Is there any single line in the whole news explaining why picking Mr Brila to loksabha speaker is Unusual?