Om Birla, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and MP from Kota, was elected Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha .
The motion, moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was adopted by the house through a voice vote.
The opposition INDIA bloc, which had nominated K. Suresh as its candidate for Speaker, did not press for a division vote.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi extended his wishes to Birla and accompanied him to the chair along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Prime Minister Modi.
Traditionally, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected through consensus between the ruling party and the Opposition.
The contest between BJP’s Om Birla, a three-time MP from Kota in Rajasthan, and Kodikunnil Suresh, an eight-term parliamentarian from Kerala’s Mavelikara, emerged after the NDA refused to accept the opposition INDIA bloc’s demand that the Deputy Speaker’s position be left for the Opposition in exchange for its support of the NDA nominee.
