The 18th Lok Sabha has already started on a stormy note as the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the opposition INDIA bloc failed to reach a consensus on the post of Speaker, forcing an election for the key post. As talks involving INDIA bloc leaders and Union ministers failed and the opposition fielded K Suresh against BJP's Om Birla, the Lower House of Parliament will witness a Speaker election for the first time after 1976.
The election for the post of Speaker was first held in 1956 and has been since held two more times, in 1967 and 1976. Here is a brief history of the Lok Sabha Speaker's election.
The first contest for the post of Speaker took place when the Parliament convened after the first general elections in 1956. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had moved the motion for G V Malvankar. Still, Cannanore MP A K Gopalan, a founder of the Communist movement in India moved a motion in Shankar Shantaram More's motion.
Incidentally, the Speaker election at that time was also entwined with the issue of whether the government would share the position of Deputy Speaker with the Opposition.
In the election that ensued, Malvankar was elected as the Speaker with 394 votes.
In 1967, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was elected the Speaker defeating Tenneti Viswanatham. The election took place during the tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the MPs voted on a paper slip.
It was argued during this time that secreting voting should take place departing the open voting. After debate, a decision was made that voting would take place through voting slips. The MPs were given printed slips with Ayes and Noes who then deposited the slips of their choice in secret.
The third Speaker election took place in 1976 after the House convened following the Emergency. A motion was moved by PM Indira Gandhi in favour of B R Bhagat. However, Bhavnagar MP P M Mehta also moved a motion backing Jagannathrao Joshi, a member of the Jana Sangh.
Subsequently, Bhagat won the post with 344 votes while Joshi got 58.