Too many voices in NDA debate Dy Speaker post

The NDA failed to sort out the conflicting claims within the alliance on Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, deferring the decision yet again t...

The NDA failed to sort out the conflicting claims within the alliance on Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, deferring the decision yet again today. Earlier, the alliance leaders had left the matter to former PM A.B. Vajpayee, who, in turn, said the alliance would take a decision.

BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the party had held discussions with its allies after the UPA Government offered the post. He admitted the Akali Dal had sought the post, but added that many people in the BJP were keen that the party nominate one of its own leaders for the job. A decision will be taken once the election date nears, he said.

Sources said BJP leaders Satyanarayan Jatiya and Luxmi Narain Pandey, both from MP, had emerged front-runners for the job. Jatiya, a Dalit, is a former Union minister. The BJP had settled for a Dalit leader, Suraj Bhan, when the party was in a position to have its own man as deputy speaker during the United Front rule. Pandey, who represents Mandsaur, was on the panel of chairpersons during the 13th Lok Sabha. He is among the party’s senior-most MPs.

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The Akalis, on the other hand, are pushing the candidature of Phillaur MP Charanjit Singh Atwal, former speaker of the Punjab Assembly.

Malhotra said NDA partners would meet on June 8 to draw up a strategy for cornering the government on inducting tainted ministers into the Cabinet.

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