CHENNAI: Veteran politician JCD Prabhakar, who represents Thousand Lights Assembly constituency, was elected Speaker of the Assembly unopposed on Tuesday, as only one nomination was received for the post. Similarly, M Ravishankar, representing Thuraiyur constituency, has been elected deputy Speaker unopposed.
Minister KA Sengottaiyan and the Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, led Prabhakar to the Speaker’s chair as per tradition. In his speech, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said everyone here is equal and that even parties represented by a single member in this House must have their views accorded the same respect as those expressed by the members of the TVK, which has greater numerical strength.
Quoting a Thirukkural couplet, the CM said he is confident both the Speaker and the deputy Speaker would uphold the dignity of the House by ensuring smooth, orderly and peaceful proceedings, while safeguarding its democratic traditions and conventions.
The CM recalled the tradition of the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition escorting the Speaker to the chair dates back to the British Parliament during the time of monarchy, when Speakers feared for their lives while conveying Parliament’s rejection of the King’s wishes.
“Since Speakers who displeased the monarch often faced execution, newly elected Speakers would try to flee, forcing leaders to physically escort them to the chair — a custom that continues even in modern democracies,” he said.
In a lighter vein, Udhayanidhi Stalin said while he, the Speaker and the chief minister are all alumni of the same college, the DMK remains the “senior batch” in governance, as it came to power first, in 1967. In a reply to Vijay’s statement that TVK has “greater numerical strength” in the Assembly, Udhayanidhi said the people did not grant the ruling party an outright majority to form the government.
The new government has been formed with the support of alliance MLAs who contested and won under the leadership of the DMK, he said. He also pointed out unlike previous Assemblies where the ruling party enjoyed a dominant majority, this House has a strong Opposition nearly equal in strength to the treasury benches, “reflecting the people’s mandate for constructive criticism and effective guidance to the new government”.
Udhayanidhi also claimed Tamil Thaivazhthu was pushed to the third place during Vijay’s swearing in, adding the opposition would not allow the anthem to be relegated to the sidelines. He also reiterated that Sanatana Dharma, which divides people, must be abolished.
Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami requested the Speaker to provide sufficient opportunities for opposition parties to raise people’s issues. Though Palaniswami spoke on behalf of the AIADMK, the Speaker also allowed SP Velumani, who broke away from the party, to felicitate him. The Speaker, in his speech, profusely praised the chief minister, calling him ‘living MGR’. He said he was yearning for another MGR to emerge.
“The great leader who fulfilled that longing and ended that anguish is the living MGR seated before us today, CM C Joseph Vijay, who is evolving into a great leader,” he added.
