CHENNAI: The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the 14th Assembly - P Dhanapal and Pollachi V Jayaraman respectively are all set to conduct proceedings of the 15th Assembly as well.
A few hours after taking over as the member of the 15th Assembly, Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday nominated both for the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The Assembly Secretariat had announced that the election to these posts would take place on June 3. Last week, Jayalalithaa created history by retaining power for a second consecutive term following the footsteps of the late K Kamaraj and MG Ramachandran in 1954 and in 1984 respectively.
P Dhanapal who was the Speaker of the 14th Assembly will be the first to be re-elected for the coveted post for the second consecutive term. After Si Pa Aditanar, Speaker of the Fourth Assembly passed away in 1968, Pulavar K Govindan became the Speaker between February 1969 to March 1971. In the Fifth Assembly, KA Mathialagan became the Speaker and he held that post between March, 1971 to December, 1972. After this, Pulavar K Govindan became the Speaker. Though he held the post in successive Assemblies, his term was not consecutive.
Pollachi V Jayaraman, however, will be the second person to hold the post of Deputy Speaker for a second consecutive term. Earlier, B Bakthavatasalu Naidu held the post of Deputy Speaker for two successive Assemblies between 1952-57 and 1957-1962.
Since AIADMK is the largest party in the House, both of them are expected to be elected unopposed on June 3. Dhanapal has been elected from Avinashi constituency while Jayaraman has been elected from Pollachi constituency.