New Delhi/IBNS: Defence Minister and BJP veteran Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said he spoke to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge thrice to build a consensus on the Lok Sabha Speaker's post.

Speaking to the media while entering Parliament, Singh said, "Kharge-ji is a senior leader. I respect him. I have spoken to him thrice since yesterday."

In an unprecedented scenario in Lok Sabha in Independent India, a contest over the Speaker's post will be held as the INDIA bloc fielded Congress MP K Suresh as its candidate against BJP-led NDA's pick Om Birla after the government refused to concede the Deputy Speaker's post to the Opposition.

Suresh has already filed his nomination for the Speaker's post.

The Opposition went for a conditional support to Om Birla, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament this morning.

"The Opposition is putting forward its conditions. We condemn this kind of politics. It is best to have a consensus candidate going by tradition. What the Opposition is doing is against the tradition," said Union Minister Piyush Goyal.

Birla, a BJP MP who was elected from Kota-Bundi constituency of Rajasthan, served as the Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha from 2019 to 2024.

All eyes were on the ruling camp as the BJP-led NDA is facing heat from the Opposition after the saffron party's tally fell from 303 to 240 needing allies to run the government.

Moreover, the alleged examination scandal related to NET and NEET has brought the Modi government under the scanner.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers took oath as the MPs of Lok Sabha.