Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, representing Kottayam, was elected as the 25th Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Friday. He secured 101 votes in the election held in the House, defeating LDF candidate A C Moideen, who received 35 votes, and BJP candidate B Gopakumar, who got three votes. Pro tem speaker G Sudhakaran, the Ambalappuzha MLA who presided over the proceedings, did not cast his vote.
Historic Three-Cornered Contest
This was the first time in the history of the state assembly that three candidates contested for the Speaker's post. After the election, Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan jointly escorted Radhakrishnan to the Speaker's chair, following parliamentary convention.
Election Proceedings
The election was conducted under the supervision of G Sudhakaran, who was appointed as the pro tem Speaker being the seniormost member of the assembly. The proceedings were smooth and orderly.
Radhakrishnan's Reaction
Reacting to his election, Radhakrishnan expressed pride and described the role as one of the most important responsibilities in parliamentary democracy. He said, "I am extremely happy. The party has entrusted me with one of the most crucial responsibilities in parliamentary democracy. I have 100% satisfaction in taking up this responsibility."
Call for Effective Utilization of Assembly
He called upon both treasury and opposition benches to utilize the assembly effectively in the larger interest of the people. The assembly will not meet from Saturday till next Thursday. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar will deliver the policy address on May 29. The election for the post of Deputy Speaker is scheduled to be held on June 1.
