The BJP on Tuesday picked Rajasthan MP Om Birla, considered close to party president and home minister Amit Shah and the RSS, as the next Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

The choice came as a surprise given that Birla, 56, is only a second-term MP and was hardly heard speaking in Parliament in his first term.

Associated with the youth wing of the BJP, Birla was an MLA in Rajasthan for three terms before getting elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 2014.

The election to the Speaker’s post is scheduled for Wednesday and Birla is set to be elected unopposed.

The BJP commands a brute majority in the Lok Sabha — 303 members in a House of 543. Together with its allies, it has a strength of 350.

Odisha’s BJD and Andhra Pradesh’s YSRCP joined the NDA allies in extending support to Birla’s candidature.

“BJD, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, National People’s Party, Mizo National Front, Lok Janshakti Party, YSRCP, JDU, AIADMK and Apna Dal have given the notice to support Birla’s candidature for the post of Lok Sabha Speaker,” parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said.

“I have spoken to Congress leaders K. Suresh and Ghulam Nabi Azad. They have not signed till now but I think they would not oppose Birla’s candidature,” Joshi added.

The BJP parliamentary board finalised the name on Monday evening but kept it a secret. On Tuesday morning, his wife Amrita said: “It is a very proud and a happy moment for us. We are very thankful to the cabinet for choosing him.” But Birla himself continued to evade a confirmation. “I have no information. I had just gone to meet the working president as a karyakarta,” he said as he left J.P. Nadda’s residence.

His name, however, had to come out as the motions supporting his candidature had to be moved by Tuesday afternoon. Sumitra Mahajan was the last Speaker.