Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee proposed Balayogi's name for speakership which was seconded by leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi as the deadline expires on Thursday for nomination to Speaker's election on Friday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan said.

More than a dozen resolutions backing Balayogi's candidature have already been tabled. The Deputy Speaker's election is likely to be held on October 28.

Both Balayogi, who defeated P A Sangma in the first-ever election to the post last year, and consensus candidate Sayeed will be getting a second term in the posts.

The consensus was evolved after discussions between the two sides and Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi welcomed government's decision to honour the healthytradition of leaving the Deputy Speaker's post to the Opposition.

Balayogi's choice for the speaker's post became clear when his party, which has 29 MPs, decided to give outside support to the Vajpayee government.

Since the Speaker's post is being decided uncontested, the ruling combine has chosen to follow the tradition of leaving the Deputy Speaker's post to the main opposition. A host of leaders belonging to the NDA constituents and opposition groups affixed their signatures on different sets of resolutions to be moved on Friday. They include Home Minister L K Advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes, Industry and Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran, CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and BSP leader Mayawati.