The position of Speaker in the 18th Lok Sabha has gone to the NDA, and Om Birla has been chosen for the role. The NDA's candidate was Om Birla, while the INDIA alliance's candidate was K. Suresh.
There was a tussle between the ruling party and the opposition over this position, but the decision has ultimately gone in favour of the NDA.
Om Birla is a senior BJP leader and has previously been the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, where he was elected unopposed.
Om Birla hails from Kota, Rajasthan. He has won the Lok Sabha election for the third time from the Kota-Bundi constituency. Defeating former MLA Prahlad Gunjal, who had rebelled from the BJP and joined Congress, by 41,974 votes, Birla secured his third consecutive term in Parliament.
He is the first leader in the history of Kota, after Dau Dayal Joshi, to win three consecutive terms in both the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Om Birla has never lost an election since 2003. He contested his first legislative assembly election from Kota in 2003 and won.
In 2008, he defeated Congress leader Shanti Dhariwal from the Kota South seat. He won the Kota South seat for the third time in 2013.
Birla contested his first Lok Sabha election in 2014 and emerged victorious. Since then, he has continued to taste success, winning again in 2019 and 2024.
When the BJP appointed him as the Speaker in 2019, it surprised many. Despite not having extensive parliamentary experience, Om Birla's management of the House has been commendable.
Om Birla was born on November 23, 1962, in Kota, Rajasthan. His father's name is Shrikrishna Birla, and his mother's name is Shakuntala Devi.
On March 11, 1991, he married Dr. Amita Birla. They have two daughters named Akanksha and Anjali Birla. Regarding his education, Om Birla completed his M.Com. degree in 1986 from Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University.
Om Birla is notable for being the first Lok Sabha Speaker whose name is associated with working in both the old and new Parliament buildings.
His tenure during the 17th Lok Sabha garnered significant attention. During his term, controversial actions included the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from Parliament and the suspension of a large number of MPs.
Significant legislative achievements during his tenure included the abrogation of Article 370, the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and the implementation of three criminal laws among other important legislative works.
Om Birla also holds the distinction of being the only Lok Sabha Speaker under whom no Deputy Speaker was elected during his term.
The 17th Lok Sabha achieved a productivity of 97%, the highest in the last 25 years.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth session of the 17th Lok Sabha achieved a productivity of 167%, the highest in the history of the Lok Sabha.
Financial discipline in Parliament operations led to savings amounting to ₹801 crore.
The 17th Lok Sabha passed 222 bills, the highest among the last three Lok Sabhas.
Discussions on legislation totaled 440.54 hours during the 17th Lok Sabha, the highest among the last four Lok Sabhas.
A total of 2,910 members participated in discussions on various bills during the 17th Lok Sabha, the highest among the last four Lok Sabhas.
Parliament's extensive library was opened to the public on August 17, 2022, enriching access to parliamentary knowledge resources.
