NEW DELHI: NDA constituents, led by senior BJP leaders, held a strategy meeting at the residence of defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, ahead of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha beginning on June 24.
The meeting, sources said, was called to evolve consensus over the post of Lok Sabha speaker, which BJP is expected to retain. The deputy speaker’s post is likely to go to one of the NDA partners.
Before the meeting, home minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda called on incumbent speaker Om Birla amid indications that the latter may continue.
The meeting at Rajnath Singh’s residence was attended by ministers S Jaishankar, Manohar Lal, Bhupender Yadav, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Kiren Rijiju, Annapurna Devi, Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lalan’ and Chirag Paswan, sources said. A discussion on ensuring better floor coordination among NDA partners also took place.
The speaker’s election is scheduled for June 26, two days after the session begins. Notices for motions supporting candidates can be submitted by members by 12 noon on June 25, the Lok Sabha secretariat said.
