Sivakolundhu set to be elected Pondy Assembly Speaker

Puducherry Assembly Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu is set to be elected Speaker of the House on Monday.

The 68-year old Congress leader will assume office of Speaker during a special session of the House convened by the Lt Governor.

With Sivakolundhu, who won from Lawspet MLA, alone filing the nomination before the Assembly Secretary A Vincent Rayar Sunday, he is for all practical purposes elected 'unopposed' as the Speaker of the House, official sources told PTI.

Ministers and Legislators of the Congress and its ally, the DMK proposed and seconded his name for the post of Speaker, which had been lying vacant after senior Congress leader V Vaithilingam quit the post on March 21 to contest the Lok Sabha poll.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy told reporters that Sivakolundhu's candidature was approved by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

He said Congress MLA M N R Balan elected from Uzhavarkarai constituency would be fielded for the post of Deputy Speaker and the Congress high command had also approved his candidature.

Meanwhile, AIADMK leader A Anbalagan protested against the "violation of the rules of procedure" in the conduct of Speaker election.

He told reporters that a joint delegation of AIADMK, the BJP and the AINRC had presented a memorandum to the Lt Governor and also to the Secretary to the Assembly taking strong exception to the "haste with which the election of Speaker had been arranged.