TVK's Prabhakar unanimously elected Tamil Nadu assembly speaker

JCD Prabhakar's unanimous election as Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker marks a new chapter, with Chief Minister Joseph Vijay highlighting the assembly's crucial role in shaping public policy and ensuring equality among members.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam legislator JCD Prabhakar on Tuesday was unanimously elected as Tamil Nadu assembly speaker.

Shortly after his election, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said the assembly has the responsibility to transform the expectations of the people into schemes and laws.

A former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam veteran with stints as MLA in the past, Prabhakar joined the TVK in January this year.

In his maiden speech in the 17th Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, Vijay said, "Here everyone is equal. The views expressed by the opposition members and also the ruling TVK will be accorded equal importance and value. Good things will be accepted while rejecting unwanted views. This Assembly should function as heart and brain of democracy."

Vijay lauded Speaker Prabhakar and deputy Speaker M Ravishankar for being elected to the respective posts, unopposed, and wished them to conduct the House smoothly.

The chief minister commenced his speech with a quote from former US President Abraham Lincoln to stress that everyone in the Assembly was equal. He outlined the priorities of his government towards the welfare of the people, especially youth, and transparency in administration.

He also asserted that all members are equal. "Views of single-member parties will receive the same respect as those of the majority TVK members, with good ideas being accepted and others rejected based on merit," he added.

Invoking the legacy of past Speakers such as J Shivashanmugam Pillai, Dr U Krishna Rau, and S Chellapandian, Vijay said he took pride in proposing a candidate who fits into this distinguished lineage.

He also quoted the Thirukural to emphasise that the House should be conducted by weighing merits and faults to ensure justice.

Also, he described the procedure followed in the Assembly where the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition lead the newly elected Speaker to his chair by holding his hands.

He noted that the tradition originated in the British Parliament during the monarchy. In those times, the Speaker faced the risk of death if they conveyed the Parliament's refusal of the King's wishes. Consequently, reluctant candidates often had to be physically "dragged" to the chair by fellow members-a practice that survives today as a symbolic ritual.

The chief minister pledged the full cooperation of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) members to the Chair and urged for the preservation of Tamil culture and the dignity of the House.

Earlier, Pro-Tem Speaker M V Karuppaiah announced in the assembly that Prabhakar's nomination was proposed by the chief minister and that his was the only nomination received for the Speaker's post. Hence, Prabhakar has been unanimously elected unopposed, he said when the Assembly was convened for the day to elect the Speaker.

Following the election, Karuppaiah announced that his role as Pro-Tem Speaker had ended. He invited the Leader of the House K A Sengottaiyan and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin to escort the newly elected Speaker to his chair, as per the tradition followed in the House. And from today, Prabhakar would conduct the proceedings in the House, he added.

Accordingly, Sengottaiyan and Udhayanidhi approached Prabhakar and congratulated him. They escorted him to his chair located centrally in the House where the treasury benches and opposition members sit facing each other on either side of the chair.

Immediately after assuming his chair, Prabhakar conducted the election for the deputy speaker. He informed that TVK MLA from Thuraiyur, Ravishankar, was the lone member to file his nomination for the deputy speaker's post, and his nomination was proposed by Sengottaiyan. In the absence of any contest, Ravishankar has been elected unopposed, he said.