Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress have issued three-line whips to their respective Members of Parliament (MPs) to be present in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, June 26, from 11 a.m. onwards. This move comes ahead of the crucial election for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker.

The election has taken on added importance as the opposition INDIA bloc, having failed to reach a consensus with the BJP, has nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the Speaker’s position. This decision follows unsuccessful negotiations where the opposition had been seeking the Deputy Speaker’s post.

BJP has renominated its Kota MP Om Birla, who previously served as Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds a clear majority with 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, while the opposition INDIA bloc comprises 234 MPs.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi revealed earlier that the opposition had offered to support the NDA’s Speaker candidate if the Deputy Speaker position was given to the opposition. However, Gandhi alleged that despite initial discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, there has been no follow-up from the government side.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab is serving as the pro-tem speaker.

(Inputs from ANI)