Lok Sabha Speaker Election today: Why INDIA bloc forced a contest despite numbers stacked in NDA's favour. 5 points

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Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Om Birla, who was the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, is up against INDIA bloc leader and eight-term Congress Parliamentarian K Suresh for the crucial post. Follow Live Updates on Lok Sabha Speaker election today HereThe election was forced after the ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc failed to arrive at a consensus for the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker post.Usually, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is appointed with consensus between the ruling and the opposition camps.

While the Speaker is from the ruling camp, the Deputy Speaker’s chair is traditionally reserved for an opposition MP to ensure a balanced House.Also Read: BJP's Om Birla vs Congress' K Suresh for Lok Sabha Speaker post: Who has advantage? Numbers explainedThis time too, INDIA bloc wanted to support NDA candidate if the Deputy Speaker post was given to the Opposition. But in the absence of any consensus, the Opposition decided to field K Suresh against Om Birla.The Deputy Speaker’s chair was vacant in 17th Lok Sabha and second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

In PM Modi’s first term, the Deputy Speaker post was given to BJP’s ally AIADMK.The Lok Sabha Speaker is elected through a simple majority. This means that the candidate who receives more than half of the votes from the members present in the Lok Sabha at the time of voting is elected as the Speaker.As things stand the numbers clearly are in favour of NDA candidate, Om Birla.

The NDA has 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha. The ruling alliance is also expected to get the support of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party's four MPs taking its numbers to 297.