Sumitra Mahajan to be next Speaker

Mahajan was a Minister of State in the Vajpayee govt from 1999 to 2004

Senior BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan, one of the most experienced Parliamentarians, is set to be the next Lok Sabha Speaker, becoming the second woman to occupy the key position.

The acceptance of 71-year-old Mahajan, an eight-time MP from Madhya Pradesh, has been procured and a formal announcement about the nomination is expected any time, sources said.

She was earlier sounded by BJP chief Rajnath Singh about the new assignment.

The election for the Speaker will take place on Friday.

If elected, Mahajan will be the second woman to hold the key position after the outgoing Speaker Meira Kumar.

Mahajan has never lost the Lok Sabha elections since 1989 and was elected from Indore for the eighth time in the just-held polls by a margin of 4.67 lakh votes.

She was a Minister of State in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004.

The week-long first session of the 16th Lok Sabha started today on a sombre note with the House paying homage to Union Minister Gopinath Munde who died in a road accident yesterday. The House adjourned for the day after paying homage to the departed leader.

President Pranab Mukherjee will address a joint sitting of Parliament on June 9 and the week-long session will end on June 11.