Vaju Vala elected new speaker of Assembly

 

Veteran legislator and former finance minister, Vajubhai Vala, was on Wednesday elected unanimously as speaker of the 13th Gujarat assembly.

 

Name of the seven-time MLA was proposed by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and was supported by the opposition Congress, during the first day of maiden session of the newly elected assembly.

After being unanimously elected Vala assured the members of the assembly that he will try and fulfill all their expectation and maintain prestige of the August house.

"Many times it has been alleged that voice of the opposition is not heard. I assure them they will be given the due opportunity to raise their concerns," Vala said after taking charge.

He talked of bigger role that Gujarat can play in development of the country. "Development is mere a physical term. Gujarat is an integral part of India and we need to work for the development of the country," he said.

Vala further assured that he would uphold the traditions and values of his post, but also expected all the members to do the same in return and refrain from making any unparliamentary comments.

Congratulating Vala on his feat, Modi acknowledged his contribution to state and said that he has always been a motivational force for everyone.

Leader of the opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela also appreciated Vala's role in state politics and urged him to set an example like veteran parliamentarian and former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee. "Though CPI (Communist Party of India) cadre is stricter than BJP, Chatterjee still managed to remain unbiased while in the chair of speaker," Vaghela said.

Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) president Keshubhai Patel urged Vala to practice what he preaches, as it would help him run the house smoothly.