Rahul Gandhi Dials Mamata Banerjee, Seeks Support For K Suresh in Speaker Election

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, June 26, dialed West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee seeking support for INDI bloc's joint candidate K Suresh. K Suresh has been nominated by the INDI bloc for the position of Lok Sabha speaker against NDA's Om Birla. The moves comes in the aftermath of TMC's claim that it was consulted before nominating Suresh. 

Sources claimed that Rahul Gandhi spoke to Mamata Banerjee urging support for K Suresh in this election. Earlier, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee had claimed that his party was not consulted on the Opposition's decision to field Congress MP K Suresh as the INDI bloc's joint nominee for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. While the TMC contested the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal alone, it claims to be a part of the INDI bloc at the national level. However, after Rahul's SOS, Mamata Banerjee has reportedly extended support to K Suresh. 

Unilateral Decision: TMC 

On INDI bloc nominating K Suresh as its joint candidate, TMC's Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that the decision was taken “unilaterally” without consulting him or his party. “No one contacted us, there have been no talks, unfortunately this has been a unilateral decision. Our party leadership, Mamata ji will decide,” said Banerjee while speaking to reporters. 

As Suresh filed his nomination for the election of Speaker on Tuesday morning, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was not among the INDIA bloc parties that signed his paper.

Rahul-Abhishek Seen Chatting in Parliament 

As speculations of Mamata Banerjee being miffed began to gain momentum, Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee were seen sitting together and chatting inside Lok Sabha. When Rahul Gandhi came out of the House after his affirmation, he was asked by the media if he could reach an agreement with Banerjee over the Speaker issue. In a brief reply, the Congress leader said, "Jai Samvidhan (hail Constitution)".

All Eyes on Speaker Election 

All eyes are on the Lok Sabha as the for the first time in decades, an election for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post will take place on Wednesday due to the inability of the BJP's ruling NDA government and the Congress-led INDI to reach to a consensus. Traditionally, both speakers and deputy speakers were elected through consensus. Prior to this, the election for Lok Sabha Speaker has happened only three times in the past history; 1952, 1967 and 1976.

Both the ruling BJP and the main opposition Congress Party have issued three-line whips to their members, mandating their presence in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday from 11 am until the end of the proceedings.