‘Decision to bar voting to elect LS Speaker indicates NDA’s poor numbers’

NEW DELHI/Kolkata: With Om Birla elected as the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee told the media that despite Opposition MPs seeking division of votes the pro-tem Speaker did not allow any voting to elect the Speaker which indicated that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government did not have adequate numbers.

Outside the Parliament, Abhishek is learnt to have told the media that according to the rule even if one member of the House demands for division of votes, the pro-tem speaker has to allow it.

“You can clearly see and hear from the footage of the Lok Sabha that several members of the Opposition sought and asked for a division,” Banerjee said.

It was learnt that Om Birla, who was a nominee of NDA, was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker following a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that was adopted through voice vote. The Opposition also proposed its own candidate. The Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab made the announcement after the Opposition, which had forwarded the name of eight-term Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, did not press for votes to the motion.

Abhishek told the media: “The motion was adopted without putting it to vote. This is a clear testament to the fact that the ruling dispensation, the BJP, does not have the numbers ... This government is running without the numbers. It’s illegal, immoral, unethical and unconstitutional and the people of the country have already shown them the door. It’s just a matter of time before they’re shown the door again,” the TMC MP said.

Responding to a question that the Opposition did not press for a division of votes, Banerjee said: “The question is not about how strongly the division (of votes) was sought. The rule says that even if one out of 500 people ask for division, it has to be allowed.” “Only the pro-tem speaker can clarify why the division wasn’t allowed. He was sitting in the chair and hence he can answer,” he added.