The objection notice to remove Speaker Om Birla will be considered in the Lok Sabha on Monday

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha will take up a resolution on March 9 backed by Congress MPs and their allies to oust Speaker Om Birla for his partisan behavior, setting the stage for a fresh showdown between the BJP-led NDA and the opposition as the Assembly reconvenes from Monday for the second part of its budget session.The NDA’s numerical advantage – 293 of the current 541 MPs in the House – make the motion’s defeat inevitable, but it will test the unity of the opposition ranks as some voters, including the TMC, have not backed the resolution, leading members of the finance minister to believe Birla can also find support from outside the EU. BJP, Cong issues hotly debated ahead of Birla recall vote Both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have issued whips to their respective BJP members to secure seats in the House of Representatives as they seek to muster maximum strength amid expected vote splits.While the BJP whip has made it mandatory for its MPs to be present on the first two days, the Congress directive remains applicable for the first three days. Rules allow Bella to appear on the House floor and defend herself without serving as chair. LS Monday’s agenda cited a resolution proposed by three members of Congress. The resolution notification has the support of 118 legislators from Congress, SP and DMK and several others.Citing Birla’s decision, the opposition resolution banned LS opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and others from speaking, made “unfounded accusations” against women MPs, suspended eight opposition MPs and “failed to condemn members of the ruling party for making objectionable and derogatory remarks about the former prime minister”.According to the agenda, the resolution proposed by the opposition said, “He (Bella) no longer maintains the impartiality necessary to gain the trust of all parts of the House; he disregards the rights of members of Congress in a partisan manner, making statements and making rulings aimed at influencing and undermining those rights; and he openly supports the version of the ruling party on all controversial issues.” Birla, who has no longer been present in the House since 118 opposition MPs filed notice on February 10, would return Birla to the chair to preside over the government’s key legislative agenda. One view within the NDA is that some non-NDA MPs may support Birla. The opposition’s notice signified growing tensions with the government, which were on full display in the first half of the meeting after Rahul mentioned to the targeted government the contents of former Army chief Naravane’s unpublished book, which Birla rejected.This, along with the suspension of eight opposition MPs for allegedly disrupting proceedings and comments by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey attacking members of the Nehru-Gandhi family, were used by the opposition to express a lack of confidence in Birla.