Delhi LG Saxena appoints BJP's Arvinder Singh Lovely as protem speaker

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Arvinder Singh Lovely appointed as protem speaker.

The first session of the Delhi legislative assembly will be held on February 24, where the election of the legislative assembly speaker will be held at 2:00 PM.

Prior to this, the newly elected MLAs will participate in the oath-taking ceremony at 11:00 in the morning.

According to the Delhi assembly bulletin, LG Saxena will address the assembly on February 25, after which the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports will be tabled. Later in the day, the assembly will be open for motion of thanks on LG's address.

On February 26, the discussion on motion of thanks on LG's address will commence at 11:00 AM, after which the Deputy Speaker of the Delhi assembly will be elected. 

BJP leaders said the party has nominated senior MLAs Vijender Gupta and Mohan Singh Bisht for the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, respectively.

 

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will move the motion for Gupta to be chosen as speaker and minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa will second it on February 24, said Assembly's list of business.

 

Both Gupta and Bisht would get elected to the posts as the BJP has 48 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly. The AAP, which has 22 MLAs, is yet to name a leader of opposition although former chief minister Atishi and the party's Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai are said to be frontrunners for the post.

"Notice of motion for the election of the speaker can be given up to Saturday, February 22, 2025, before noon to the secretary, legislative assembly," the bulletin read.

BJP leader Rekha Gupta, who took oath as Delhi Chief Minister earlier on Thursday, chaired the first meeting of her cabinet hours later and announced two key decisions - to implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme with Rs 5 lakh top-up and table the 14 pending CAG reports in the first sitting of Assembly.

Addressing a press conference, Rekha Gupta also announced portfolios of her council of ministers.

She said that the Delhi government will implement the Centre's flagship scheme in the national capital. This was a pre-poll promise of the BJP, which had targeted the AAP government for not implementing the scheme.

She also announced the tabling of CAG reports, which had not been tabled by the AAP government.

"In the first Cabinet meeting, we discussed and passed two agendas - to implement in Delhi the Ayushman Bharat scheme with Rs 5 lakhs top up and tabling of 14 CAG reports in the first seating of the Assembly. We will fulfil all the commitments that we have made to the people," Rekha Gupta said.

She said the Delhi government will pay for the top-up and will sign a MoU with the Centre.