No division, but sharply divided in the House

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi shook hands and ushered the newly-elected Speaker Om Birla to his chair, the Lok Sabha livened up to the spirit of consensual yet competitive politics.

But within a couple of hours, the momentary bonhomie gave way to both the Treasury benches and the Opposition digging into their entrenched positions. All it took was for Om Birla to call upon the Congress to condemn the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, and observe its 50th anniversary.

The Opposition immediately termed it as a “divisive statement”, leading to the first disruption and abrupt adjournment in the newly-constituted 18th Lok Sabha. This suggested that an orderly functioning of the House would be a challenge despite the initial impression that a coalition government and a stronger Opposition would prompt more give and take between the two sides.

The opposition, snapped by the government’s refusal to commit the post of deputy speaker to it, had fielded its candidate, eight-term MP Kodikkunnil Suresh, for the speaker post, but did not push for a vote. Although there were a few feeble demands for a division – a vote – from the opposition benches, pro tem speaker Bhartruhari Mehtab declared Prime Minister Modi’s resolution nominating Birla as the speaker as accepted and others “infructuous”.

When Union Minister and JD-U MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh asked about voting, Mehtab said the declaration was already made. The Opposition did not press for a division. Gandhi, who was appointed the Leader of Opposition on Tuesday, came forward to the treasury benches to congratulate Birla who was seated at the front row. Modi, Gandhi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijijju ushered Birla to the podium and he