‘Didi’ played a trick with Congress

Amid the debate on the President’s speech as well as the election of the Deputy Speaker, the ruling government and the Opposition are at loggerheads over several issues, including irregularities in the medical entrance exam, the Agneepath scheme for the armed forces, price rise and unemployment. Important opposition parties have raised their voices for the election of the Deputy Speaker, a post that has been lying vacant for the past five years. Opposition leaders said the India Group wants to field Samajwadi Party MLA from Faizabad Awadhesh Prasad for the post. The India Group has conveyed to the ruling party that they want Prasad as the Deputy Speaker. Sources said the Trinamool Congress on Sunday urged the Centre to appoint Samajwadi Party MP from Faizabad Awadhesh Prasad as the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Awadhesh recently won the Lok Sabha election from the Faizabad constituency, in which Ayodhya is located. So far, the Centre has not released the schedule for the election of the Deputy Speaker, a post that remained vacant during the 17th Lok Sabha. This time Mamata Banerjee’s TMC has taken the lead by recommending Faizabad/Ayodhya MP and Samajwadi Party leader Awadhesh Prasad for this post. This can spoil the political plans of Congress. Mamata has also spoken to Rajnath Singh for this. This decision has come after the internal strife during the election of the Speaker, when internal differences between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress became a problem and embarrassment for the India Block. So far, the Center has not released the schedule for the election of the Deputy Speaker, this post remained vacant during the 17th Lok Sabha. Sources say that the top leadership of the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party have held informal discussions in this matter and they hope that some consensus will be reached behind the scenes, so that there is no reason for discord at the last moment.