Om Birla, BJP lawmaker from Kota, likely to be next Lok Sabha Speaker

Om Birla, BJP lawmaker from Rajasthan’s Kota, is likely to be next Lok Sabha Speaker. The two-time MP from will be the NDA’s candidate for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker. When asked about the development, Birla reportedly said that, “I have no information, I had just went to meet the Working President as a karyakarta.’ If elected, Birla will replace previous Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. The Speaker of 16th Lok Sabha, Mahajan didn’t contest this year’s General Elections. the development comes a day after the Pro-tem Speaker Virender Gupta administered oath of office to over 300 MPs during the inaugural session of the 17th Lok Sabha. “It is a very proud and a happy moment for us. We are very thankful to the cabinet for choosing him,” Om Birla’s wife Amita Birla was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. At present, he is the member of Parliamentary Committees on Petitions and Energy.  He was a three-time Member of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Kota South.

The 56-year-old has completed his education from two colleges in Kota and Ajmer in Rajasthan. According to a government site, he also served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Government of Rajasthan from 2003 to 2008. Birla is known for his extensive work in social sector. He has led several voluntary missions during national calamities such as floods and earthquakes. In 2001, Birla led the relief team of more than 100 voluntary workers including doctors to help the victims of Gujarat earthquake.

Birla has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh. The official website says that Birla was also imprisoned in Uttar Pradesh ‘due to active participation in Ram Mandir construction movement.’ He has also been credited for leading a movement that helped Kota city getting the IIT.

Usually, seniority is considered for Lok Sabha speaker's post but there have been instances when first-time and second-time lawmakers were elected for the chair. Manohar Joshi, who was elected as Lok Sabha speaker in 2002, was then a first-time MP. He had succeed GMC Balayogi, a second-time MP who died in a helicopter crash.