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 Election A new chapter was added to the history of India when senior Congress leader Meira Kumar was elected as the next Lok Sabha speaker with the support of all the political parties of India. It has happened for the first time that a woman has been elected as the LS speaker. This 64 year old ‘dalit’ leader was elected for this constitutional position when United Chair Person Sonia Gandhi proposed her name for the seat while ruling party leader in Lok Sabha, Pranab Mukherjee supported her name for the seat. All the Lok Sabha members voted in her favor with the thumping of desks. Before it rising above their party interests, opposition leader Lal Krishan Advani, Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Benerjee, DMK’s T R Balu, BIJU Janata Dal’s Arjun Charan Sethi, Janata Dal United’s Sharad Yadav, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, National Conference’s Faruq Abdullah and Muslim League’s E Ahmad presented their ‘support letters’ in favor of Meira Kumar’s name.

Party Leaders Where Meira Kumar has become the first female Lok Sabha Speaker, she has also become the first leader from the Dalit community who has been elected for the first time for this prestigious seat. All those Lok Sabha Members who were present in the Parliament gave their votes in her favor by thumping the desks and raising their hands. Temporary speaker announced her name as the new elected Lok Sabha Speaker. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Lok Sabha leader Pranab Mukherjee and opposition party leader L K Advani led her to the seat of the Speaker and requested her to accept the ‘new challenge’. Prime Minister termed her election for the post of the speaker as the historic moment in the history of Democratic India. He said that her election has increased the prestige of Indian women that will empower the women in future. Meira Kumar has worked in Indian foreign services, as a Parliament member and as an assistant in the central ministry and this comprehensive experience will help her while doing her new constitutional duty. It must be learnt that she is the daughter of famous Dalit leader Babu Jagjeevan Ram. Prime Minister said that the political experience she has got from her farther will help her in her new stint. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee supported Singh’s views and said that she has years of experience of political, bureaucratic and administrative works that will help her while doing her new duty. He said that it is true the handling of Lok Sabha is a tough task but he will give his full support to keep the house going without any problem.

Views Recounting the previous Lok Sabha adjournments, Mukherjee said that instead of creating problems in the house, attention should be paid to constructive discussions. He said that Parliament is a ‘Temple’ where more than 70 crore people of India has sent their new elected leaders. He also praised all the previous speakers who had taken right decisions in tough situations and expected that Meira, too, will follow the tradition. Opposition leader L K Advani expected that Meira’s experience in the social sector will help her while doing the service of LS speaker. He expected that 15^th Lok Sabha will work with adjournments and interruptions. He recounted the time he had spent with Babu Jagjeevan Ram during the Morarji Desai government. CPM leader Basudev Aachariya said that her election has provided a new hope for the women reservation bill. He expected that she will handle the affairs in a systematic way as she has a mind of a philosopher. Accepting the greetings Meira said that she will do her utmost to keep the prestige of the house.