New Lok Sabha Speaker

Om Birla

• 17th Lok Sabha Speaker

Om Birla, a two-time BJP MP from Rajasthan's Kota district has been unanimously elected as the new Lok Sabha Speaker after opposition parties supported his candidature. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had moved the motion for his election, led him to the Speaker's chair after completing the formalities over his election. The 56-year-old, who is considered to be close to both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, was a surprise pick by the ruling BJP-led NDA as he is considered a relative newcomer.

New Delhi: Newly-elected Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has said that he will not allow a repeat of the shouting of religious slogans or heckling in the House, as witnessed during the swearing-in of some opposition MPs on Tuesday.

“I don’t think Parliament is the place for sloganeering, for showing placards, or for coming to the well,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times on Thursday. “There is a road for that where they can go and demonstrate. Whatever people want to say here, whatever allegations they have, however they want to attack the government they can, but they can’t come to the gallery and do all this.”
Birla was elected to the 17th Lok Sabha from Kota where he defeated Congress' Ramnarain Meena by over 2.5 lakh votes. He was elected to the last Lok Sabha also from the same seat.

Born on 23 November 1962, Om Birla completed his Masters in Commerce from Government Commerce College, Kota and the Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer.

In 2003, he defeated Shanti Dhariwal, of the Congress by a margin of 10,101 votes, to win his first assembly election from Kota South. Subs ..
Birla was elected Speaker a day before President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to both the Houses of Parliament. Birla is a two-time member of the Lok Sabha from Rajasthan and has represented the state legislative assembly for three terms.

Praising the central government and urging members for a smooth functioning of the House, Birla said: “We have a transparent government in the centre. The government should be responsible and answerable to the House. We should raise the questions and issues that come under the ambit of the central government."

He assured the opposition parties that they should remain satisfied that even if their numbers are less, he will make sure that their voices are heard.

“We have come to the House so that it can grow. While respecting the boundaries of the House, we should make sure that just like our democracy is celebrated across the world, our practices in the House are celebrated," Birla said.