JOIN USStage set for Meira's elevation as Lok Sabha Speaker
Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday led a UPA delegation to submit Meira Kumar’s nomination papers for the election to the Speakers post. Meanwhile, the BJP announced the candidature of six-time MP and senior tribal leader Karia Munda from Jharkhand for the post of Deputy Speaker.
Mukherjee submitted the papers to Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary. The election will be held on Wednesday. Kumar, 64, will be the first woman to head the Lok Sabha as her election is a foregone conclusion and a mere formality now. Thirteen sets of nomination papers were submitted by parties across the spectrum, which included a set signed by Leader of the opposition LK Advani, and seconded by BJP leader Sushma Swaraj.
After a meeting of the BJP parliamentary board, party general secretary Arun Jaitley said Munda had vast parliamentary experience and was a right choice. The ruling coalition had decided to leave the Deputy Speaker’s post to the BJP, according to the convention.
“We have filed 13 sets of nomination papers. The first set was signed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and I have seconded it,” Mukherjee told reporters outside Parliament. Kumar called the nomination “historic” for the women of the country and overwhelming for her.
The delegation included the likes of Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel from the NCP, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shailendra Singh Yadav from the SP, Arjun Charan Sethi and B Mahtab from the BJD, Lalu Prasad, Farooq Abdullah and E Ahamed.
Kumar was the only nomination at the end of the day according to Lok Sabha secretariat. Kumar, the Dalit face of the Congress, is the daughter of former deputy prime minister the late Jagjivan Ram.
She had resigned three days ago as Union Water Resources Minister. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi said the nomination of Kumar was a forerunner to the reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies.