Ramanlal Vora elected speaker unopposed, Thakor elected his deputy by voice vote

Gandhinagar: Former Gujarat Minister Ramanlal Vora was today elected as the new speaker of the Gujarat assembly unanimously while South Gandhinagar MLA of ruling BJP Shambhuji Thakor was elected for the post of deputy speaker by voice vote.

Mr Vora was the sole candidate for the speaker’s post as the main opposition Congress had also supported his candidature. He has become the third speaker of the 13 th assembly of Gujarat constituted after the polls in 2012 and which has seen . Vajubhai Vala was the first speaker of the 13 th assembly. On his appointment as Karnataka Governor in 2014, Ganpat Vasava was made speaker. He also resigned from the post earlier this month, a day before his induction in the state cabinet on August 7.

Parbat Patel (BJP MLA from Tharad) acted as the protem speaker when the house assembled for the two day monsoon session today. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani moved the motion for election of Mr Vora as speaker of the house and leader of opposition Shankersinh Vaghela supported it. Afte unanimous election Mr Vora was taken to the speaker’s seat by Mr, Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Mr Vaghela and others.

Mr Vora later told newsmen that the speaker’s post was a constitutional one and he would take everyone along and follow the laid rules in conducting of the proceedings of the august house.

Mr Thakor, however, had to to face election as Congress’s women member from Garbada seat Mrs Chandrikben Bariya had also filed nomination for the deputy speaker’s post. He was declared elected after the voice vote. Ruling BJP has 121 members in the 182 member assembly.

The proceedings of the house was later adjourned. Apart from the election of speaker and deputy speaker the house also expressed condolences on the demise of 5 former members as a set tradition and on the death of Pramukh Swami of the BAPS who had died on August 13 as a special case looking at his contribution to the society and his stature. The special motion of condolence on Pramukh Swami’s demise was put forth by the Chief Minister himself.

The former Speaker Ganpat Vasava and deputy speaker Atmaram Parmar both had resigned from their posts following change of guard in the state earlier this month and have been inducted in Vijay Rupani government as cabinet rank ministers.

Mr Parmar has got the charge of Mr. Vora’s former department social justice and empowerment.

On the second and last day tomorrow the constitutional amendment bill regarding GST would be tabled and passed along with three other amendment bills including Gujarat court fee amendment bill and the one related to the disqualification of the local bodies members and the other related to the regulations of admission and fee in the medical colleges in the state.

DeshGujarat