Kahlon elected Speaker, Gosian Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly

Chandigarh, Mar 16 (UNI) Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Nirmal Singh Kahlon and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Satpal Gosian were unanmiously elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively of the Punjab Assembly today.

Their names were proposed by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and seconded by Local Bodies Minister and BJP Legislature party leader Manoranjan Kalia. Both Mr Badal and Mr Kalia congratulated them on their election.

Leader of the opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal also accorded her approval to election of Mr Kahlon and Mr Gosian as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively. However, she said it would have been better if the opposition member was made the Deputy Speaker so that a healthy tradition was established.

Mr Kahlon, who was elected to the 13th Vidhan Sabha from his traditional assembly constituency Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur district, has previous experience in conducting the House. He had remained the Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha in 1985 when Mr Surjit Singh Barnala was the Chief Minister.

In the 1997 SAD-BJP governmment, he became the Minister of Rural Development and Panchayats.

Mr Gosian, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly from Ludhiana East, had already served as the Deputy Speaker from 1997 to 2002.

Speaking after his election, Mr Kahlon sought the cooperation of both the Treasury Benches and the opposition in conducting the House proceedings. He sought to reassure the opposition that due weightage would be given to them.

Earlier while congratulating the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Mr Badal and Mr Kalia assured them of full cooperation. Mrs Bhattal too gave her party's assurances and said that the opposition would play a constructive role.

Others who congratulated the Speaker, included Ministers Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Manpreet Singh Badal and Bikram Singh Majithia, besides Jagdish Sahni (BJP), Capt Balbir Singh Baath and a number of other legislatures from the Treasury benches. Besides Mrs Bhattal, those who extended their greetings to the Speaker from the Opposion Benches, included Brahm Mohindra, Sunil Jakhar and Randeep Singh.

UNI