Om Birla to be NDA nominee for Lok Sabha Speaker

Om Birla of the the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an MP from Rajasthan, will be the NDA nominee for the Lok Sabha Speaker`s post, informed sources said on Tuesday. If nominated, Birla, 56, will become the Speaker given the clear majority the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoys in the Lower House. A three-time MLA, Birla, who describes himself as an agriculturalist and a social worker, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kota in Rajasthan. This was his second victory in Lok Sabha elections after 2014.

The election for the Speaker`s post is scheduled for Wednesday. A Masters in Commerce, Birla has been active in politics since his student days. He was first elected to the Rajasthan Assembly in 2003 and twice more before he was catapulted to the Lok Sabha. The opposition parties are yet to announce their candidate for the Speaker`s post. Tuesday is the last day for nomination.