The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is open to having a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha, news agency PTI reported citing sources, adding that a decision on the same will be taken later.
They said that the BJP-led though has not rejected the opposition's claim on the post, but criticised the insistence that their nominee should just be given the post. This came in reference to the matter that such a pre-condition could not be considered, when it came to the Speaker's election.
Notably, there was no deputy Speaker during the previous Lok Sabha.
Notably, the central government's efforts to reach a consensus on Om Birla as the Lok Sabha Speaker turned out well as the INDIA bloc insisted that it should be promised the post of his deputy as per "convention".
The top brass of the ruling alliance had said that opposition's demand could be considered when the election for the deputy speaker post takes place, however, it should not come with any precondition.
During the Speaker election, the opposition put up seasoned Congress leader K Suresh as its candidate against Om Birla, who won the poll by a voice vote.
Though many governments in the past have allowed the opposition's nominee to have the deputy speaker post, the Bharatiya Janata Party has contested against it saying that it has not always been the case.
The Congress claimed that as the recognised Opposition party, a status it did not enjoy during the previous Lok Sabha, its member should get the post in the Lower House.
Notably, the Opposition held the post of Deputy Speaker consistently from 1990 through 2014.
A deputy speaker is responsible for fulfilling a Speaker's duties when the post is vacant. The person presided over the House with the same powers as the Speaker and can speak, participate in deliberations and vote as a member when the Speaker is present in the House.
The standoff over the deputy speaker comes after Om Birla on Wednesday returned as the Speaker. The reason for the historic election was the nomination of Congress' K Suresh against Birla.
The Speaker's post is one such post for which names have been chosen by consensus between both the ruling and the opposition parties since Independence.
