Following the formation of the government, the Lok Sabha Speaker election is next in line. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is striving to build consensus. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has been tasked by the BJP to broker an agreement with both allies and opposition parties regarding the Speaker selection. On the other hand, the opposition sees this as an opportunity to pressure the government over the Deputy Speaker's position, left vacant in the previous session. The leader of the opposition India Block repeatedly insists that if an opposition party isn't considered for the Deputy Speaker post, they will field a candidate for the Speaker's election.
The opposition is also emphasizing that for the Speaker's position, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) should make an effort. Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), Sanjay Raut, has stated that if TDP fields a candidate for the Speaker, they will ensure that it receives support from India Block parties. This raises questions if TDP's candidacy backed by the India Block offer will complicate the BJP's arithmetic in the Speaker election. What are the probabilities for the opposition in the Speaker election, and what is the numerology of Lok Sabha?
The Tactic Behind the India Block's Offer to TDP
Let's first address the India Block's offer to TDP. Rumors suggested that TDP coveted the Speaker's position. However, BJP made it clear that the Speaker's chair would remain within the party. The opposition's strategy now revolves around inflating Chandrababu Naidu's ambition to create a narrative that division has begun within the NDA as soon as it formed a government. Chandrababu's TDP and Nitish Kumar's JDU have emerged as potential kingmakers in these elections. The opposition parties seem to believe a breakaway by Naidu may reduce Modi government 3.0's strength from 293 to 277, which is barely above the required majority of 272.
Source: aajtak
Prospects for the Opposition in the Speaker Election
The opposition alliance is well aware of its prospects in the Lok Sabha Speaker election. The goal of the opposition is to send out a message of strength. Time and again, the opposition has been demanding that the post of Deputy Speaker be awarded to one of their parties. It has been commonplace in the Lok Sabha for the ruling party or coalition to hold the Speaker's office while the opposition has traditionally been bestowed with the Deputy Speaker's post. Throughout the last Lok Sabha's term, the Deputy Speaker's seat remained unoccupied. The opposition now aims to compel the government to uphold this tradition if it genuinely seeks a consensus-elected Speaker.
Source: aajtak
Discover more on the tug-of-war between government and opposition as they rally their candidates for the role of Lok Sabha Speaker—a position that holds weight and strategy in the art of governance.
