The Lok Sabha Speaker's election, a rare contest in decades, is set to take place on Wednesday with the BJP's Om Birla pitted against Congress' Kodikunnil Suresh. Despite the opposition's insistence on a consensus, the two parties failed to agree on a division of seats, leading to a showdown. Om Birla, a three-time MP from Rajasthan, is likely to emerge victorious due to the BJP-led alliance's majority. However, Suresh, an eight-term parliamentarian from Kerala, hopes to win over some opposition members to his cause. The opposition bloc had demanded that the Deputy Speaker's post be given to one of their own members, citing a convention. However, the BJP refused to budge, saying there is no precedent for such a practice. Union Minister Piyush Goyal argued that the Deputy Speaker's post is not reserved for an opposition member and that the party can choose anyone they want. Sources close to the development revealed that the opposition leaders KC Venugopal and TR Baalu insisted on a written commitment from the BJP that the Deputy Speaker would be an opposition member, but the party refused to make such a promise. The stalemate led to Suresh filing his nomination papers for the Speaker's post, setting up a contest that will decide the fate of India's legislative body.