The post of the Deputy Speaker post, vacant in the second term of the Narendra Modi government, will be filled again. But in a break from tradition, the incumbent is likely to be from the NDA and not the Opposition, sources have indicated, making it clear that the government versus Opposition acrimony is likely to escalate. An announcement is likely soon, sources said.
Sources said the government is likely to take a hard line after the “breakdown of trust” with the Opposition during the dialogue yesterday over the Speaker post.
But there is also the question of keeping allies like Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar happy. Both had their eyes on the Speaker post as insurance for any split in their parties. But the BJP had refused to relent.
There is speculation that this time, the post might go to Me Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party. TDP’s GMC Balayogi was the Speaker when the NDA under Atal Bihar Vajpayee was in power and there is expectation that the post can now go to his son Harish Balayogi.
While a peace offering to the TDP might keep NDA’s internal harmony intact, it could bode trouble from another direction, by making the new muscular, combative Opposition extremely unhappy.
The Opposition, failing to get the spot of the Pro Tem Speaker had been angling for the Deputy Speaker post, which traditionally goes to it. But with the government brushing off its demands and its claim, they had forced a last-minute contest on the Speaker post.
The loss was a given, in view of the government’s numerical strength. But the Opposition insisted that it was out to send a message.
The Lok Sabha Speaker is the final arbiter of the voice of the people, the Congress asserted. Its new Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi pointedly said that he was “confident” that the Speaker would “allow us to speak, to represent the voice of the people”.
“The idea that you can run the House efficiently by silencing the voice of the Opposition is a non-democratic idea,” he added. “This election has shown that the people of India expect the Opposition to defend the constitution… we are confident that by allowing Opposition to speak, you will do your duty of defending the Constitution of India,” he said.
On Wednesday, the government, while seeking consensus for their Speaker candidate Om Birla, made it clear that they were not considering a Deputy Speaker post, or the Opposition’s claim to it, for the moment.
This irked the Opposition, which fielded K Suresh – their seniormost parliamentarian and one hey thought would be the obvious choice for the Pro Tem Speaker — against Om Birla.
Describing the morning’s events, Rahul Gandhi had said: “Rajnath Singh called (Congress chief) Mallikarjun Kharge and asked him to extend support… entire Opposition said we will support but convention is Deputy Speaker should be from our side. Rajnath Singh said he would call back… but he has not yet… PM is asking for cooperation but our leader is getting insulted.”
In the first term of the NDA government, the Deputy Speaker was then ally AIADMK’s M Thambidurai.
On Tuesday, Congress leader K Suresh said, “They (the BJP) denied (the post to) us in the last two terms of the Lok Sabha, saying that you are not the recognised Opposition. Now, we are recognised as the Opposition. Deputy Speaker post is our right, but they are not ready to give us.”
