Speaker election: why is there suspense on which side will TMC vote | Explained

In the first Lok Sabha Speaker election since Independence, BJP's Om Birla is set to contest against Congress' K Suresh.

The election was forced after the NDA and Opposition failed to reach consensus in the matter over the question of Deputy Speaker's post.

The election is being seen as aa mere formality considering BJP-led NDA enjoys an overwhelming majority in the House.

To further add to the Opposition's woes, the TMC appears to be miffed with the Congress. The reason, according to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, is that the party was not consulted on the Opposition's decision to field K Suresh as the INDIA bloc's joint nominee.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Banerjee were seen chatting inside the Lok Sabha. But when Gandhi was asked if an agreement with Banerjee was reached, he chose to duck the question.

With the Deputy Speaker election just around the corner and raging issues like paper leak on agenda, the divide within the Opposition could cost them.

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