Mr Rijiju also underscored the numerical strength of the NDA in ensuring the election of its nominee.
BJP leader Kiren Rijiju today appealed to the Congress to refrain from contesting the Speaker's post. This appeal comes in light of Congress leader K Suresh filing a nomination against the NDA's nominee, Om Birla, for the position of Lok Sabha Speaker, marking a rare instance of an election for this post after 48 years.
"We believe in consensus and our efforts have been to take along everybody," Mr Rijiju said. "We still have time. I appeal to the opposition parties, especially the Congress, to give it a thought again and not contest the Speaker's post. The Speaker has to run the house impartially, so in this context, it is better for all of us to elect the Speaker unanimously."
Mr Rijiju stressed the importance of cooperation and collegiality among Parliament members, urging them to work together for the greater good. "We are all colleagues in the House, and we have to always work together. There is no doubt about that. When we make them (Opposition) an offer, we expect that the offer is accepted gracefully. That has not been done," he said.
Mr Rijiju also underscored the numerical strength of the NDA in ensuring the election of its nominee. "It is my appeal to the Congress to give it a thought again and not to contest the Speaker's post. We have the numbers, but it is not the question of numbers," the minister said.