The attempts by the government to arrive at a consensus on the Lok Sabha Speaker's post appeared to have failed as Congress MP Kodikunnil. Suresh filed the nomination for the post.
With this, the opposition has scripted history as it is the first time that the post of the speaker has been contested. The voting will take place at 11 am on Wednesday.
The move comes amid speculations that Kota MP Om Birla was to be reelected as Speaker again.
Birla files nomination
Meanwhile, Om Birla also filed his nomination for the post.
JD(U) leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh said Birla's name was decided unanimously by all NDA parties and that senior Rajnath Singh also reached out to the opposition for their support.
Hitting out at the opposition, he said they wanted a decision on the post of deputy speaker immediately despite Rajnath Singh requesting that everyone should sit together and discuss the issue when the time comes for the selection.
Union minister Piyush Goyal said it would have been better to have an consensus candidate and criticised the opposition for putting forth conditions.
Democracy cannot be run on conditions, he asserted.
Why did Congress choose to contest?
Congress leader K.C. Venugopal had said the opposition would contest the speaker's election and accused the government of being non-committal on giving the deputy speaker's post to the opposition.
Failed consensus
Amid reports that Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh was attempting to build a consensus over the posts of both Speaker and deputy speaker, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier said the opposition will support the government on the Lok Sabha Speaker's choice if they give the deputy speaker's post to the opposition bloc.
"Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge, and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire Opposition said we would support the Speaker, but the convention is that the deputy speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Kharge, but he has not done that yet," Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying.
Besides Kharge, Singh had also to DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin among other opposition leaders in an effort to build a consensus.
Birla had earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid indications that he will again be the NDA's candidate for the post.
A few days ago, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju too had pitched for a consensus for the post saying, "It is always better if there is a consensus."
