A first since 1976, stage set for contest for highest post in Lok Sabha

?The stage is set for the fourth contest for the Lok Sabha speaker’s post on Wednesday after fights in 1952, 1967 and 1976.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday criticised the opposition for not extending unconditional support to Om Birla, the alliance’s candidate for the post. The NDA claimed that by nominating their candidate K Suresh, the opposition bloc, which is demanding the deputy speaker’s post in exchange for support to Birla, had departed from the convention of not having a contest for the position.

If Birla wins, he will be the second Speaker after Balram Jakhar (1980-89) set to get two full terms. The Lok Sabha’s second speaker MA Ayyangar and Gurdiyal Singh Dhillon got the post twice but the second term of both leaders didn’t last more than a year and a half.

To be sure, the NDA’s claim is not borne out by facts. Elections to pick the speaker have been held in 1952 when there was a contest between the first Lok Sabha speaker GV Mavalankar and Shankar Shantaram More, then with the Peasants and Workers Party of India; and then in 1976 during the Emergency between Baligram Bhagat and Jagannath Rao.

In 1967, Congress’ nominee Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy fought against Tenni Vishwanathan who was backed by stalwarts such as Madhu Limaye. Reddy was elected having polled 278 votes against Viswanatham’s 207.

Reddy, the only speaker who was elected twice by two different parties, didn’t have a full five-year term. He was also the first speaker to resign from the political party to which he belonged during 1967-1969. He got re-elected as speaker in 1977 but it lasted for just 109 days.

“There have been three instances so far where voting had been held during the speaker’s election. These being: 1. First Lok Sabha 15.05 .1952 - election of G V Mavalankar Ayes 394 Noes 55 2. Fourth Lok Sabha 17.3.1967 N Sanjeeva Reddy Ayes 278 Noes 207 and 3. Fifth Lok Sabha 5.1.1976 Bali Ram Bhagat Ayes 344 Noes 58,” said Ravindra Garimela”, a parliamentary affairs expert.

Both the BJP and the Congress have issued whips. “All NDA lawmakers will be briefed on Wednesday morning about the procedure for electing the speaker,” according to a party functionary, “Lawmakers from different states will meet in groups, where they will be familiarised with the process.”

According to Lok Sabha records, in 1952 Mavalankar who had experience as speaker of the Bombay Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1946 was nominated by the Congress Party for the presidentship of the Sixth Central Legislative Assembly in January 1946.

“The nomination by the Opposition Congress Party in itself was not enough to ensure his election in an Assembly in which the majority of members was on the Government side which had put up its own candidate. However, after a keenly contested election, Mavalankar emerged victorious,” Lok Sabha records said.

After a voice vote, Mavalankar was declared winner with 394 votes, while Shantaram received 55 votes.

In 1976 there was a contest for the position between Baligram Bhagat and Jagannath Rao. The Congress and its allies had 360 seats in the 523-member House while the United Front included it had about 100 members. The Opposition, which was up in arms against the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who had imposed the Emergency on June 25, 1975, nominated Joshi, who was then in prison for the post. Bhagat won the contest and went on to serve as the speaker of the 5th Lok Sabha from January 1, 1976 to March 25, 1977.

Bhagat, who won with 344 votes, against Rao’s 58 votes, was elected against the vacancy caused by the resignation of speaker D GS Dhillon.

While the post always went to the ruling party, Congress leader P A Sangma was made speaker in 1996 even as HD Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal was the PM. “As the Congress was giving outside support to the Deve Gowda government, Sangma was made speaker as part of the deal,” said a senior Congress leader.