Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Om Birla was on Wednesday elected the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha.
Om Birla’s name was proposed by PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha and was supported by all major parties including Congress, TMC, DMK and BJD.
PM Modi congratulated Om Birla on being unanimously elected as the Speaker of the lower house of the Parliament and said that it was a matter of great pride for the House.
“I remember working with Om Birla Ji for a long time. He represents Kota, a place that is mini-India – a land associated with education and learning. He has been in public life for years. He began as a student leader and has been serving the society since then without a break,” Modi further said in praise of Birla.
Besides BJD, 10 parties including National People’s Party, Mizo National Front, Lok Janshakti Party, YSRCP, JDU, AIADMK and Apna Dal had extended their support to Birla.
A three-time MLA, Om 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.
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.