Om Birla unanimously elected Speaker of 17th Lok Sabha

Rajasthan MP Om Birla was on Wednesday (June 19) chosen as Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The motion to choose Birla as the Speaker was moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also Leader of the House, and was passed by a voice vote.

“That Shri Om Birla, a member of the House, be chosen as the Speaker of this House,” read the motion.

The motion was seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Calling the moment a great matter of pride for the House, PM Modi congratulated Birla on being unanimously elected as the Speaker of the lower house.

“Personally I remember working with Om Birla ji for a long time. He represents Kota, a place that is mini-India, a land associated with education and learning. He has been in the public life for years. He began as a student leader and has been serving the society since then without a break,” Modi said.

A similar motion was moved by Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah, which was supported by Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

The Congress and the DMK had moved notices for a similar motion. But the notices were issued after 12 noon on Tuesday, the deadline.

As a special case, pro-tem Speaker Virendra Kumar allowed the motions to be moved.

Birla, who won his first Lok Sabha election in 2014, was again elected this year from Rajasthan’s Kota-Bundi seat.