Om Birla elected as Lok Sabha Speaker

Kota MP and NDA candidate Om Birla was elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

He won the election by voice vote, defeating Opposition candidate K Suresh.

Birla was accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to the Speaker's chair where he replaced pro tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab.

This was the first election for the Speaker's post since Independence. It was forced after the ruling NDA and Opposition failed to reach consensus.

Congress had claimed that the talks failed as the BJP was reluctant to give the Deputy Speaker post to an Opposition leader.

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