Om Birla elected as Lok Sabha speaker for second consecutive time

• NDA candidate Om Birla elected as Lok Sabha Speaker by voice vote
• PM Modi congratulates saying previous LS passed several path-breaking legislations under your leadership
• This Speaker election was contested for the first time in decades

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday elected National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house of Parliament by a voice vote.

Following Birla's election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him and expressed anticipation for his guidance over the next five years. “Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy…The previous Lok Sabha passed several path-breaking legislations under your leadership,” PM Modi said while addressing the Lok Sabha.

The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker post was held in the Parliament for the first time in decades owing to a lack of consensus between the BJP-led NDA government and the Congress-led INDIA bloc opposition. The Congress had fielded Kodikunnil Suresh as its Lok Sabha Speaker candidate against BJP's Om Birla.