Chandrababu Naidu wants Lok Sabha Speaker seat for TDP: What’s so special about this demand?

Apart from Cabinet portfolios, Chandrababu Naidu likely wants to make a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP the Speaker of the Lok Sabha now that the NDA has been voted to power once again.

What does the veteran politician see in this post that makes it such an attractive proposition? Before we attempt to comprehend that, let us take a look at the current political situation.

The NDA will come back to power for the third consecutive term. Unlike 2014 and 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party could this time garner a grand total of 240 seats, short of the majority mark. To gain a majority in the 543-member strong Lok Sabha, a party needs to breach the 272 seat mark.


The NDA, wherein the BJP is the single largest party, has 293 seats in the Lok Sabha, paving way for a brand new leadership at the Centre. Here, Narendra Modi remains the PM, but the BJP will be reliant on its allies to run the government smoothly.

Why does TDP want the Speaker post?

TDP has decided to stake claim to the post of Speaker, sources tell ET. This post is traditionally held by the ruling party at the Centre.

Although this demand was not raised in the NDA meeting on Wednesday, it has been conveyed verbally by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

TDP sources said this has been done because Naidu is aware of the importance of the Speaker’s post, especially when the government is facing a tight no-confidence motion on the floor of the House.

In 1998 when Naidu had offered his support to Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s NDA government, he had not sought any Cabinet berth but had staked claim to the Speaker’s post. GMC Balayogi was Naidu’s nominee then for the post. How crucial the Speaker’s role is for TDP can be gauged from the fact that in April 1999 when Vajpayee’s government lost the crucial confidence motion by a single vote, it was Balayogi who had advised Giridhar Gamang to vote “as per his conscience”. The act of allowing Gamang to vote had cost Vajpayee his government.