BJP MlA Santosh Yadav was elected Deputy Speaker of Haryana Assembly, with Congress opposing the move and suggesting that a legislator from the Opposition benches or an Independent should have got the post.
The name of Yadav, an MlA from Ateli in south Haryana’s Mahendargarh district, was proposed by Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma seconded it.
After the BJP formed the Government in Haryana after last year’s assembly elections in October, the election to the post of the Deputy Speaker was long due.
The main opposition Indian National lok Dal supported Yadav’s nomination, with party’s senior leader and leader of Opposition, Abhay Singh Chautala saying it was a good decision that a women has been given this post.
Congress, however, opposed the move saying it would have been better if an opposition MlA or even an Independent’s name had been proposed.
Congress legislative party (ClP) leader Kiran Choudhary said that in the Business Advisory Committee meeting before the current monsoon session of the Assembly, her party had suggested that as per tradition it would be better if an opposition MlA was elected to the post.
“I know that you would not have made anyone from the Congress as Deputy Speaker, which is why I had suggested in the BAC that let anyone from INlD or even an Independent legislator's name be proposed for the post,” Choudhary said pointing towards the ruling BJP benches in the Assembly.
She added, “This is a regressive step (making Deputy Speaker from the ruling party). For democracy, it does not augur well.”
Adding to this, Congress MlA Karan Singh Dalal said that anyone from the INlD, Independent or even the BSP could have been made the Deputy Speaker.
Referring to the recent incident of the death of 11 construction workers in the wall collapse at an under-construction stone-crusher unit, owners of which were linked to Santosh Yadav, Kiran Chaudhary said that the government should clear its stand on this first.
However, INlD's Abhay Chautala hailed Yadav's election, saying “I congratulate you (the ruling BJP) for this. Congress is in the habit of trying to find fault in everything,” he added.
As the BJP members thumped the benches, Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar congratulated Yadav saying that her election is yet another step towards women empowerment in the State.
later, addressing the members, Yadav said she will try to deliver her best and live up to the expectations which the House has entrusted on her.
Notably, it was in the year 1972 that a women legislator namely lekhwati Jain of Congress was elected as Deputy Speaker in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.