BJP Secures 240 Seats, Needs Allies to Form Government
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 240 seats on its own and 293 seats with its allies in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Among the 53 seats won by allies, 28 belong to Janata Dal (United) led by Nitish Kumar and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by Chandrababu Naidu.
With the BJP falling short of the majority mark, Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu have emerged as kingmakers. Their support is crucial for Narendra Modi-led BJP to form the government at the Centre.
On June 9, Prime Minister Modi, along with 71 MPs from the BJP, TDP, and JD(U), took oath at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
The BJP has recognized the importance of maintaining a balance between its party members and its alliances, particularly with the TDP and JD(U).
According to media reports, both TDP and JD(U) are interested in the Lok Sabha Speaker’s position. However, BJP sources indicate that the party is hesitant to relinquish this post.
Previous Speakers
Om Birla served as the Speaker in the last Lok Sabha. The Speaker’s role is to remain non-partisan and not represent any political party while presiding over the House. Notably, Congress veteran N. Sanjiva Reddy resigned from his party after becoming Speaker. However, other Speakers like P.A. Sangma, Somnath Chatterjee, and Meira Kumar have maintained their party affiliations while serving in this role. In 2008, Somnath Chatterjee was expelled from CPI (M) for his strict non-partisan approach.
Election of the Lok Sabha Speaker
The Lok Sabha Speaker is elected by the members of the House through a simple majority. A pro-tem Speaker, appointed by the President, administers the oath of office to new MPs.
Importance of the Speaker’s Position
The Speaker’s role is critical due to the increasing rate of defections within political parties, which can lead to party splits or the toppling of governments. The anti-defection law empowers the Speaker to decide on cases related to the disqualification of members on grounds of defection.
The BJP has faced accusations of ‘horse trading’ of lawmakers, with recent examples including the splits in Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Nitish Kumar has previously accused the BJP of causing discord within his party in Bihar.
