Om Birla could become the Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time; he will file his nomination today.

CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Om Birla may file his nomination for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker today. If elected, he will be among the rare individuals to hold this position for a second consecutive term.

According to sources, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju have discussed this matter with opposition parties to reach a consensus. Singh also conversed with the leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Monday night.

If Birla is elected, he will match the record of Congress’s Balram Jakhar, who served as Speaker twice from 1980 to 1989.

Opposition parties are awaiting the BJP’s announcement of its candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker post, after which the INDIA alliance will announce its candidate.

All parties must submit their candidates’ nominations to the Protem Speaker by noon on June 25. The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker will be held on June 26.

In the past 22 years, Om Birla is the only Speaker to have been re-elected to the Lok Sabha after completing a five-year term. GMC Balayogi’s term ended in 2002, Manohar Joshi and Meira Kumar lost their elections, while Sumitra Mahajan and Somnath Chatterjee retired.