Vivek Ranva - Investopedia co in India: Your Guide to Smart Investing

18th Lok Sabha witnesses a fierce Speaker election and Rahul Gandhi’s comeback as Leader of Opposition. Lok Sabha Speaker Election: Historic Contest Unfolds On the second day of the 18th Lok Sabha session, the newly elected Members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were sworn in at the new Parliament building in New Delhi. However, what makes this session historic is the election for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post. For the first time in decades, the BJP-led NDA government and the Congress-led INDIA opposition couldn't agree on a candidate, leading to a contest. Previously, Lok Sabha Speaker elections occurred only three times: in 1952, 1967, and 1976. Today, the competition features Om Birla from the BJP, who has been an MP three times from Kota in Rajasthan, against Kodikunnil Suresh from the Congress, who holds the record for the longest tenure among parliamentarians in the 18th Lok Sabha. The opposition had earlier moved a motion to elect K Suresh as the Lok Sabha Speaker, but it was discarded after the House adopted the Prime Minister's motion following a voice vote. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress MP from Rae Bareli, has also taken on a significant role as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, marking a momentous return after a decade. Despite not being a constitutional post, this position empowers him to be part of the process to appoint bureaucrats to key posts⁹. The confrontational proceedings in this session indicate how the 18th Lok Sabha will shape India's parliamentary democracy⁵. In summary, the 18th Lok Sabha session witnesses both a keenly contested Speaker election and Rahul Gandhi's resurgence as the Leader of Opposition. As the political landscape evolves, these developments will undoubtedly impact the functioning of India's legislative body.