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