Balayogi re-elected Speaker
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 22 — Mr Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi of the Telugu Desam was today re-elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha unanimously.

In sharp contrast to the drama, debate and division that preceded his election to the high office in the 12th Lok Sabha, the 48-year-old Mr Balayogi assumed the post in the new House in an atmosphere that reflected complete agreement between all political parties.

Mr Balayogi was declared elected by the Pro Tem Speaker, Mr Indrajit Gupta amid thumping of desks by members after the motion moved by the Prime Minister and seconded by the Leader of the Opposition was carried.

Soon after, Mr Balayogi was escorted to the Chair by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, who also gave her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha.

In all, 16 motions by all major parties and groups in the House in favour of Mr Balayogi were tabled after the government and the Opposition agreed to field him.

Welcoming the Speaker, Mr Vajpayee said unlike the absence of cordiality that marked the election in March 1998, this election would be remembered as Mr Balayogi was the consensus candidate.

Mr Vajpayee said he was happy that the healthy tradition of having the Speaker from the ruling side and the Deputy Speaker from the Opposition had been continued.

(Incidentally, the election for the Deputy Speaker’s post will be held on October 27. Mr P.M. Sayeed of the Congress has already been accepted as a consensus choice for the post.)

The Prime Minister also reminded the House of the blow to democracy in the neighbouring country and said India should take the right lessons to protect democracy and make it more meaningful.

He said though rules and regulations were important, democracy thrived by conventions and that as long as there was no mutual cooperation, democracy remained only as a structure.

All eyes were riveted on Mrs Sonia Gandhi when she rose to felicitate the Speaker, making her first speech in the Lok Sabha which she read out from a prepared text.

The Leader of the Opposition underlined the need for members to set an example of dignified behaviour to uphold the highest traditions of the House.

The CPM leader, Mr Somnath Chatterjee said that Mr Balayogi’s adherence to democratic norms and his able dispensation during his previous tenure was appreciated despite the manner in which his election was handled then.

Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, President of the Samajwadi Party, said while all members were bound by rules, the onus of maintaining decorum rested not just on those in the Opposition but also on members on the Treasury Benches.

A government that enjoys majority could be tempted to take steps that may not be in the interest of people and being in the Opposition his party would do everything to stall such moves.

Mr Indrajit Gupta of the CPI, one of the senior-most members of the House, said the main casualty in recent days was decorum and dignity of the House which also attracted adverse comments from various sections.

He said it was the responsibility of the government and the Opposition to maintain decorum and said he hoped the Prime Minister would have widest possible consultations with the Opposition on contentious issues to avoid unnecessary wrangling.

The former Prime Minster, Mr Chandra Shekhar echoed the feelings of Mr Gupta and said what was regrettable was that while all talk of lofty ideals at the start of the session, during debates things move differently.

Mr Ali Mohammed Naik of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, while placing on record his party’s felicitation said he hoped the House would take up issues of economic and development particularly of his state. He urged the members to treat the problems being faced by J&K as a national issue.

Among those who spoke were included Ms Mayawati (BSP), Mr Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD), Mr Sanat Kumar Mandal (RSP), Mr R.H. Pandian (AIADMK), Mr G.M. Banatwall (Muslim League) and Mr Amar Roy Pradhan (Forward Bloc).

While thanking the members for reposing faith in him, Mr Balayogi called upon the Treasury Benches and Opposition to help him run the House in an "environment of mutual cooperation and consensus among members."

He also said nearly 40 per cent of the members were new to the House and asked them to learn from senior parliamentarians.

Regretting the lesser strength of women members in the Lok Sabha, who are only 46 in number this time, he said the quality of their performance would be dependent on the ‘proactive’ interest of parties in encouraging them.