The ruling BJP-led NDA and Congress-led Opposition failed to reach a consensus on the candidature of Lok Sabha Speaker post with the sides pitching for their members making it a first ever contest for the crucial post in Parliament. The NDA fielded its previous Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for the Speaker’s post, while the Opposition forced an election by nominating Congress leader Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate.

The Opposition’s last-minute decision to go for a rare contest came after senior BJP leaders did not agree to its precondition that the INDIA Bloc must be offered the post of Deputy Speaker in lieu of supporting Birla, who is the clear favourites in case of an election. The scheduled day for picking the Speaker is Wednesday and if an election occurs, it will be only the third time in Lok Sabha’s history, official sources said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju urged the Congress not to force a contest for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker as the presiding officer does not belong to any party.

“I appeal again that they should think about keeping in mind the dignity of the post of Speaker. We have the numbers but still, we are requesting that there should be no election for the post of Speaker because this post does not belong to any party,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

He said the Government had contacted major Opposition parties over the last two days for consensus on the post of the Speaker.

“We want the Speaker to be elected unanimously and unopposed, so we contacted and appealed to them. Today, we had a meeting with Congress leaders. We appealed to them for support for the Speaker. They said they will support but they want the post of Deputy Speaker,” Rijiju said.

Leaders of the INDIA Bloc met on Tuesday night to evolve a strategy for the Speaker’s election even as the Congress said the ball is in the Government’s court to bring about a consensus on the issue by offering the Opposition the Deputy Speaker’s post according to convention.

Sources said earlier in the day a brief interaction involving Congress leader KC Venugopal and DMK’s TR Baalu from the Opposition side and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and JP Nadda, who is also the BJP president, at Singh’s office in Parliament to evolve a consensus ended in acrimony as both sides stuck to their position.

Both Opposition leaders walked out, with Venugopal accusing the Government of not following the “convention” of an Opposition candidate for the Deputy Speaker’s position and announcing the decision to field a candidate against Birla.

Union ministers Piyush Goyal of the BJP and Lalan Singh of the JD(U) accused the opposition of resorting to pressure politics and putting forth preconditions despite senior ministers’ assurance that its demand will be considered when the time to pick the Deputy Speaker comes.

“There can be no pressure politics,” Union minister and JD(U) leader Lalan Singh told reporters, while Goyal said democracy cannot be run on preconditions.

With the NDA having 293 MPs in its kitty and the INDIA bloc 233, numbers clearly favour Birla in Lok Sabha, which currently has 542 members after Rahul Gandhi resigned from one of the two seats he was elected from. At least three independent members also support the opposition.

BJP sources claimed that the Congress has been the main aggressor on the issue and some other INDIA bloc members are not very keen on a contest.

If Birla, the BJP MP from Kota, is elected, it will be fifth time that a Speaker would serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha. Though Congress leader Balram Jakhar is the only presiding officer to have served two complete terms extending seventh and eighth Lok Sabha.

A third-term MP, Birla is also a three-term former Rajasthan MLA and has risen through the ranks in the BJP. Suresh, his rival for the Speaker’s post, is a eighth-term MP from Kerala and hails from a Dalit community.

Sources said if a division of votes takes place in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, then paper slips will be used as the electronic system is not operational yet in the new Lok Sabha where members are still in the process of being allocated their seats.

Seasoned BJP leader Rajnath Singh had taken the lead in reaching out to opposition parties over the issue as Birla emerged as the NDA’s consensus choice and met its senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Suresh said it is not about winning or losing, but about a convention that Speaker will be of ruling party and deputy speaker from the opposition.

“Last two Lok Sabhas, they denied us deputy speaker’s post because they said you are not recognised as the opposition. Now we are recognised as the opposition, (and) deputy speaker post is our right. But they are not ready to give us,” he told reporters.

Sources said more than 10 sets of nominations (called notices for motion) were filed in support of Birla’s candidature, including from Prime Minister Modi, Union ministers Shah, Singh and Nadda, and members of BJP allies like TDP, JD(U), JD(S) and LJP (R).

Three sets of nominations were filed in support of Suresh.   Congress has issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present in Lok Sabha at 11 AM on Wednesday during the election for the Speaker’s post.