Om Birla

Om Birla, an experienced political figure, has held the position of the 17th Speaker of the Lok Sabha since June 2019. He secured the Speaker position by defeating Congress nominee Mallikarjun Kharge in the Lok Sabha election. Birla, affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), represents the Kota-Bundi constituency in Rajasthan.

Birla's candidacy for Speaker emerged following his re-election to the Lok Sabha for a second term, triumphing over Congress candidate Ramnarayan Meena by a significant margin of 2.5 lakh votes. He is poised to contest in the 18th Lok Sabha elections once again, representing the BJP from the Kota constituency in Rajasthan.

Before his tenure in the Lok Sabha, Birla served three consecutive terms as a legislator in the Rajasthan Assembly, spanning from 2003 to 2013.

Born on November 23, 1962, in Kota, Rajasthan, to Shrikrishna Birla and Shakuntla Devi, Birla embarked on his political journey at an early age. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University in Ajmer. Following his graduation, Birla engaged in agricultural activities and social work.

Having been involved in student politics since his youth, Birla held the position of president of the student union at Government Senior Secondary School, Gumanpura, in 1979. His allegiance to the BJP began early, as he served as the district president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the party's youth wing, for four years. Subsequently, he held the position of Rajasthan state president of the organisation for six consecutive years before assuming the role of national vice-president of All India Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha for another six years.

Birla's professional endeavours extend beyond politics. He has served as a director of Coal India, chairperson of the Rajasthan State Cooperative Consumer Association, and vice president of the National Cooperative Consumer Association. His involvement in the Ram Mandir construction movement led to his arrest in Uttar Pradesh.

He is dedicated to social service, particularly aiding the poor, elderly, handicapped, and vulnerable women. His initiatives include providing assistance to handicapped individuals, cancer patients, and those with thalassemia through various social organisations, offering free mobility aids like tricycles and wheelchairs, and initiating a "Green Quota Forestation Campaign" to combat pollution and enhance greenery in Kota.

Additionally, he spearheaded schemes promoting rural talent through sports and cultural programs, tackled malnutrition and unemployment in tribal areas, and facilitated financial aid of up to Rs. 50 lakh for the needy during his tenure as Parliamentary Secretary in Rajasthan. He also led relief efforts for flood victims, organised rescue operations, and advocated for local employment opportunities, including in the Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant in Rawatbhata.

During his tenure as Parliamentary Secretary to the Government of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2008, a notable initiative was providing financial assistance of up to Rs. 50 lakh to poor, needy, and medically serious patients through the State Government.

Additionally, from 2006 onwards, he initiated the annual "Azadi ke Swar" program on Independence Day, fostering patriotism among the youth and honouring martyrs' sacrifices in Kota, Rajasthan. Moreover, in 2007, he launched the Slippers Distribution Campaign to provide footwear to the poor, preventing blisters due to summer heat. In March 2015, he introduced the Ek Mutthi Ann Rahat Abhiyaan, which provided relief to hailstorm-affected farmers by collecting and distributing food grains in rural areas.

Furthermore, he undertook numerous initiatives including establishing Nishulk Paridhan Uphaar Kendra for distributing clothes, introducing the Prasadam project for offering free food, initiating the Medicine Bank project for providing free medicines, establishing Meri Paathshala, a portable school in slums, setting up various Matru Gyaan Kendra in rural areas, establishing modern Rain Baseras for laborers, implementing Kambal Nidhi Prakalp, launching Suposhit Maa Abhiyan to address nutritional deficiencies, distributing aid to empower the differently-abled, and collaborating on the Green Kota Campaign for environmental protection.

Additionally, he organised felicitation programs for senior citizens of Kota and Bundi, seeking their guidance for city development.

On a personal note, Birla is married to Dr. Amita Birla, and the couple has been blessed with two daughters. His net worth is reported to be Rs 4,83,47,737.