Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSRCP to back BJP's Om Birla as Lok Sabha speaker

With the YSRCP's additional four votes, Om Birla is poised to have the backing of 297 MPs.

Ex-Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party will support BJP MP Om Birla in the June 26th election for the Lok Sabha Speaker's post.

YSRCP's Rajampet MP PV Midhun Reddy stated, "Yet to make an official announcement," indicating the party's decision will be disclosed on June 26. "Our support for the NDA candidate is natural," affirmed YSRCP sources to PTI. They clarified that no YSRCP MP has been in contact with the INDI alliance, which is also vying in the Speaker election.

Another senior YSRCP leader emphasised the party's history of not opposing NDA decisions in the past, signaling a similar approach this time.

With the YSRCP's backing, Om Birla now has the support of an additional four Lok Sabha members. This support increases Om Birla's expected votes to 297 Lok Sabha MPs, solidifying his path to once again becoming the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Despite suffering a significant loss to TDP in the recent general election, where YSRCP only secured four MPs in the Lower House, its backing highlights a consistent trend of the party supporting the BJP in parliamentary matters.

In the 2019 elections, the YSRCP had dominated, winning 22 of 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, however, the TDP, along with its allies, secured a significant victory, with the Chandrababu Naidu-led party winning 16 seats, and the BJP and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party capturing five seats.

While the YSRCP's support may not drastically change the outcome, as Om Birla and the BJP already have a strong majority, it underscores the party's pattern of cooperation with the BJP. Historically, the YSRCP has aided the BJP in passing significant legislation in the Rajya Sabha, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act and the abrogation of Article 370.

With the YSRCP's additional four votes, Om Birla is poised to have the backing of 297 MPs. The BJP already holds 240 votes from its MPs and 53 from NDA partners, including 16 from the YSRCP's rival, TDP. In contrast, the opposition commands 232 MPs.

The Speaker election, determined by a simple majority, sees Om Birla facing off against the Congress' eight-time MP from Kerala's Mavelikara, Kodikunnil Suresh, the candidate of the INDIA bloc.

Earlier in the day, there was a tense exchange between the BJP and the opposition over the selection of the Speaker. The BJP sought consensus for Birla's candidacy in line with parliamentary tradition, which usually avoids elections for the Speaker's post. The opposition signaled a willingness to support Birla if the Deputy Speaker's position were given to a non-BJP MP. The BJP declined to commit to this, prompting the opposition to nominate Kodikunnil Suresh shortly before the deadline.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal responded to the opposition's demands by asserting that there is no tradition mandating that the Deputy Speaker's post be reserved for an opposition member.