'No one contacted us': TMC says 'not consulted' as INDIA bloc fields K Suresh for Speaker post

NEW DELHI: As the INDIA bloc members united on Tuesday to field its candidate against the Modi government's candidate Om Birla, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said it was not consulted on the nomination of Congress's Kodikunnil Suresh for the post. In only the third time contest, the INDIA bloc has fielded K Suresh against the BJP's Om Birla for the Speaker election.
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, however, said his party was not consulted on fielding Kodikunnil Suresh as the INDIA bloc's joint nominee adding the party chief Mamata Banerjee will take a decision on backing Suresh.
"No one contacted us. There have been no talks, unfortunately this has been a unilateral decision," Banerjee said.
According to news agency PTI sources, the TMC has not signed the nomination papers of Suresh and may also skip the opposition meeting tonight. They INDIA bloc leaders are scheduled to meet at 8pm at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence to discuss its strategy.
Later, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee were seen chatting inside Lok Sabha.
When Rahul Gandhi came out of the House after his affirmation, he was asked by the media if he could reach an agreement with Banerjee over the Speaker issue, he said, "Jai Samvidhan (hail Constitution)".
Even though Mamata Banerjee came out in support of INDIA bloc just before Lok Sabha election results, her nephew's fresh statement once again raises question about the ties between the TMC and the Congress. Earlier, failing to come up with a seat-sharing plan, Mamata's party had decided to go solo in West Bengal in recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.
During the campaign, Mamata had also said that her party will extend "outside support" to the INDIA bloc to form government at the Centre if it wins the Lok Sabha elections. In a U-turn, however, later she had asserted that she was very much part of the alliance.
The election for the Speaker's post of Lok Sabha is scheduled to be held on Wednesday morning at 11 am and the NDA has the numbers to win the election.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the opposition will support the government on the Lok Sabha Speaker's choice if the convention is followed and the deputy speaker's post is given to the opposition bloc. He also said that defence minister Rajnath Singh was yet to get back to them on the opposition's demand for the deputy speaker's post.
Gandhi said PM Modi wants constructive cooperation but has not returned party president Mallikarjun Kharge's call on the demand, as promised, which amounts to an insult.
"The entire opposition has said that they will support the government on the Speaker's post, but the convention is that the post of deputy speaker is given to the Opposition," he said.
"Union minister Rajnath Singh had called Mallikarjun Kharge ji and has said that he will return his call, but it has not been done. While Modi ji wants constructive cooperation they are insulting our leader by not returning the call," he told reporters.
"The intention of Modi is not clear as the post of deputy speaker should be with the opposition. But Narendra Modi ji says something and does something else," he alleged.