Rift in INDIA bloc over Lok Sabha Speaker's post? TMC says not consulted
“No one contacted us, there have been no talks, unfortunately this has been a unilateral decision,” said TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee
The TMC on Tuesday (June 25) said the party was not consulted on the Opposition’s decision to field Congress MP K Suresh as the INDIA bloc’s joint nominee for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker.
As Suresh filed his nomination for the election of Speaker on Tuesday morning, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was not among the INDIA bloc parties that signed his paper.
When TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee was asked about his party's stand on the issue, he said they have not been contacted over it yet.
“No one contacted us, there have been no talks, unfortunately this has been a unilateral decision,” he said. “Our party leadership, Mamataji will decide,” he said.
Later, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Banerjee were seen chatting inside Lok Sabha. When Rahul came out of the House after his affirmation, he was asked by the media if he could reach an agreement with Banerjee over the Speaker issue. In a brief reply, the Congress leader said, “Jai Samvidhan (hail Constitution)”.
Suresh, an eight-term Lok Sabha MP, is the Opposition's pick for the Speaker, who will go up against the BJP's Om Birla.
(With agency inputs)
