VIJAYAWADA : The BJP has reportedly reached out to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSRC and sought support for the election of senior MP Om Birla as the Lok Sabha Speaker. It has been learnt that the YSRC has agreed to the request.
YSRC MPs PV Midhun Reddy and V Vijayasai Reddy were unavailable to comment, but a senior BJP leader maintained that it is a common practice to seek support of all political parties which are neither part of the NDA nor the INDIA bloc. “We had sought the support of the TDP as well as the YSRC in the last Presidential elections,” the leader pointed out.
Previously, the YSRC had clarified that it will extend issue-based support to the NDA at the Centre. It had also sought the NDA to view the YSRC on par with the TDP. The explanation given by the party was that while the TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha and none in the Rajya Sabha, the support of YSRC, which has four members in the Lower House and 11 in the Upper House of the Parliament, is equally important for the NDA to pass crucial Bills.
TDP issues whip, directs MPs to support Birla
Meanwhile, TDP, the second largest party in the NDA after the BJP, extended its support to Om Birla. Earlier, there was speculation that the TDP would demand the NDA for the Speaker post. However, the TDPP Whip Ganti Harish Madhur Balayogi on Tuesday issued a whip to all TDP MPs, mandating their presence and instructing them to vote for the NDA candidate.
‘We won’t put pressure on BJP for Dy Speaker post’
“All members are requested to gather in the Parliamentary office, Room Number 111-B, by 10:30 AM,” the Whip read.
Before that, the MPs will meet under the leadership of TDPP leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu and will be sensitised on exercising their franchise in the Lok Sabha Speaker election. The TDP has also reportedly invited BJP and Jana Sena Party MPs from the State for the meeting. Further, leaders of the yellow party also clarified that they are not aspiring for the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker post.
Maintaining that the TDP has extended unconditional support to NDA, an MP of the party told TNIE that currently their focus is on getting immense support from the Centre for the development of the State on all fronts. Stating that the party has also not bargained for more Cabinet berths, the MP explained that they will not mount any pressure on the BJP for the Deputy Speaker post.
He explained that they have agreed to accept the one berth each for Union Minister and Minister of State even as some other parties, despite having less strength, got two berths in the NDA government
Of the total 25 MP seats in the State, the NDA won 21. Of the total, TDP clinched, the BJP won three and the JSP secured two. The YSRC was relegated to four.