SHOWDOWN OVER SPEAKER'S POST

The Opposition I.N.D.IA bloc on Tuesday forced an election for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post by fielding Kodikunnil Suresh as its joint candidate after it accused the ruling NDA of disregarding convention of not giving the Deputy Speaker's position to them.

- 

• Opposition forces election, but numbers are in favour of BJP’s Om Birla

• K Suresh joint candidate of I.N.D.I.A bloc

Top leaders of the opposition bloc held a key meeting at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Tuesday night, where they discussed the strategy for Wednesday's election.

The numbers are clearly stacked in favour of the ruling NDA with 293 MPs and the I.N.D.I.A bloc has 233.

At least three independent members have also supported the opposition.

Initial chinks were seen in the Opposition camp with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) claiming that they were not consulted before fielding Suresh as the joint candidate. The TMC, however, attended the meeting at Kharge's residence.

Floor leaders of the Congress, TMC, DMK, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena, RJD, JMM, Samajwadi Party, CPM, CPI and RSP were among those present at Kharge's residence.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar also said he advised his allies in the I.N.D.I.A bloc that Lok Sabha Speaker should be elected unopposed, but the opposition must get the Deputy Speaker's post which has been a parliamentary convention.

The Congress has already issued a three-line whip to all its newly elected MPs to be present during the voting on Wednesday's election.

Suresh takes on NDA's Om Birla, who has been given a renomination by the ruling dispensation, in a rare election being held after 47 long years.