June 26th 2024.
In a recent development, the Opposition has revealed that the members of the INDIA bloc did not insist on a division of votes during the Lok Sabha speaker's election. This decision was made in order to maintain a spirit of consensus and cooperation amongst the different parties. The main aim of the Opposition was to put up a symbolic fight, rather than pushing for a concrete outcome.
The Opposition's candidate, Congress MP K Suresh, was pitted against NDA's choice Om Birla for the position of Speaker. However, Birla was eventually elected for the second time in a row. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh explained that the INDIA parties had the option to insist on a division of votes after exercising their democratic right and moving motions in support of Suresh. However, they chose not to do so, in order to maintain a sense of cooperation and unity, which according to Ramesh, was lacking in the actions of the Prime Minister and the NDA.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut also shared a similar sentiment, stating that the Opposition's decision not to seek a division of votes was a symbolic gesture to showcase the strength of the opposition and its leader in the Lok Sabha. On the other hand, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi highlighted that as per the Constitution, the opposition has the right to nominate a leader for the position of Speaker. This was the reason why they nominated their own candidate, despite knowing that they did not have the numbers to win. Chaturvedi added that it was important for the opposition to remind the ruling party that they will not let them do as they please.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari also shed light on the opposition's protest, stating that it was a symbolic and democratic way of expressing their dissatisfaction towards the government's decision to break convention and not offer the position of Deputy Speaker to the opposition. JMM Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji further emphasized that the INDIA bloc had demanded that the deputy speaker should be from the opposition, and if the government had agreed to this, there would have been no need for an election. Maji also pointed out the irony of the government asking for cooperation from the opposition, while not cooperating themselves.
However, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee had a different take on the matter. He stated that as per the rules, if any member of the House asks for a division, the pro-tem speaker is obligated to allow it. Banerjee claimed that there were several members from the opposition camp who had asked for a division of votes during the Lok Sabha session, but the motion was still adopted without it. This, according to Banerjee, was proof that the ruling party did not have the numbers to win. He also accused the government of running illegally, immorally, unethically, and unconstitutionally.
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