KP Singh elected Speaker : The Tribune India

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Speaker Rana KP Singh administers oath to former CM Parkash Singh Badal and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in the Assembly on Monday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27

Three-time Congress MLA from Anandpur Sahib Rana Kanwar Pal Singh (59) was unanimously elected the Speaker of the 15th Punjab Vidhan Sabha today.

After Parliamentary Affairs Minister Brahm Mohindra, Rana becomes the second most prominent Hindu face in the party to be elected on an important constitutional post.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh proposed the name of the lawyer-turned-politician for the post of Speaker. Brahm Mohindra seconded him.

As soon as the Chief Minister proposed KP Singh’s name, MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its ally — the Lok Insaaf Party — started raising slogans and staged a walkout, demanding a debate on the Governor’s Address scheduled for March 28.

Akali-BJP MLAs led by SAD Deputy Leader Ajit Singh Kohar and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, did not join the AAP-led protest.

Former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal were conspicuous by their absence from the House on the second day of the session. They were also absent on the first day on March 24.

After KP Singh was elected Speaker, Capt Amarinder, Kohar and BJP MLA Dinesh Singh Babbu congratulated him.

Kohar and BJP MLA Som Parkash said KP Singh was aware of the rules of the House. They hoped he would give space to the Opposition during debates.

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal recited Urdu couplets to praise the Speaker. Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu took potshots at AAP’s pre-poll slogan “Kejriwal Kejriwal saara Punjab tere naal”. He gave a new twist to the slogan: “Kejriwal Kejriwal aah ki ho gaye tera naal.”

Brahm Mohindra said, “The government has sought time for the debate. It is not denying the Opposition the right to discuss the Governor’s Address. The government is yet to start functioning.”

The Chief Minister said, “The government is open to debate on the Governor’s Address. The maiden session is necessarily a short one since the government needs to pass the vote-on-account on March 29.”