BJP offers Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker post to YSRCP, Jaganmohan Reddy seeks time

YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has reportedly sought time to take a decision on the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker post offered to the party by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

It comes after Reddy met BJP MP and spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao in a closed-door meeting at his official residence on Tuesday. However, the BJP spokesperson called the meeting a "courtesy call".

According to a Times of India report, the post was offered during the meeting which lasted for close to half an hour. Rao had come with the offer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The YSRCP has reportedly sought time to discuss the offer's political consequences in AP. The party, which won 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats and 151 of the 175 Assembly seats in the election, has a huge voter base of Muslims, Christians, Dalits and voters from the lower economic class.

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik is also a contender for the post and met PM Modi on Monday.

A convention of Lok Sabha for many years has been that while the ruling side appoints one of their own MP as the Speaker, the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the opposition side. However, it is not a rule.

A senior minister, who is also a part of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs had reportedly said earlier this week that the BJP is unlikely to give the post to Congress just as Congress didn't give it to the BJP in 2004, adding that chances are high of either Biju Janata Dal or YRSCP getting the post.

The convention is born from a courtesy that was first shown by the Janata Party government in 1977 when the post went to Congress's MP Godey Murahari.

Shiv Sena had demanded for the post of Deputy Speaker earlier this month, saying that the party has a natural claim over the post because of it being the second-largest ally of the NDA.

Meanwhile, G.V.L. Narasimha Rao clarified it to reporters after his meeting with Jagan Reddy that he did not know as to which party would be offered Deputy Speaker's post. He said this would be decided by the BJP leadership.

His reaction was sought based on reports that both the Congress and DMK had declined the offer of Deputy Speaker's post and YSRCP, which is the third biggest opposition party, would be offered the post now.

Jagan will be visiting the national capital on June 15 to attend a NITI Aayog meeting. He is likely to meet Modi during the visit.