india

Updated: Jun 10, 2019 07:44 IST

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik reached Delhi on Sunday amid speculations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might offer the post of deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha to his party Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

A BJD leader said Patnaik is scheduled to meet Modi on June 10. “It would be a courtesy call. Patnaik may raise some issues related to Odisha. The two leaders enjoy excellent equations and they can discuss many issues,” said a senior BJD leader.

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The convention of the Lok Sabha for the past many years has been that while the ruling side appoints their own MP as the Speaker, it offers the deputy Speaker’s role to the Opposition camp. “There is no rule that the deputy Speaker must be from the Opposition bench. It was a courtesy was first shown by the Janata Party government in 1977 when the post went to Congress’s MP Godey Murahari,” a senior minister, also a member of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, said.

“BJP is unlikely to give it to the Congress just as it didn’t give the post to the BJP in 2004. Chances are high that either BJD or YRSCP gets the post. While BJD has senior, experienced MPs, YRSCP MPs lack the experience,” the minister cited above said.

BJD leaders, however, said that Patnaik will not demand any such posts for the party. “If only BJP offers the post, Patnaik might consider it. Patnaik has never shown any interest to become a player at the national level. He is content being Odisha CM,” a BJD leader familiar with the matter said.