M A I N   N E W S

Kewal Krishan elected Speaker
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22
Dr Kewal Krishan was elected the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here today.

The Leader of the House, Capt Amarinder Singh, proposed his name and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, seconded it. Since the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, had already stated that the election should be unanimous, no other name was proposed. In fact, the SAD MLA, Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, welcomed the candidature of Dr Kewal Krishan. He, however, regretted that the Leader of the House, as per tradition, had not shown any courtesy to the Leader of the Opposition on proposing Dr Kewal Krishan’s name.

Capt Amarinder Singh congratulated the new Speaker. Along with a former Minister, Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, he formally took Dr Kewal Krishan to the chair.

The BJP leader in the House, Mr Avinash Khanna, an Independent MLA, Mr Sucha Singh Chhottepur, and the CPI MLA, Mr Gurcharan Singh, were among those who spoke on the election of Dr Kewal Krishan. They assured him of cooperation and hoped he would give due time and opportunity to all members and parties to speak in the House.

Thanking the House, Dr Kewal Krishan gave an assurance that he would conduct business in an impartial manner and expected the members to respect the high traditions and decorum of the House.

Dr Kewal Krishan suggested that the golden jubilee year of the Vidhan Sabha (it had first met in Shimla on May 3, 1952) should be celebrated in a befitting manner.

A joint committee of the House should be constituted, in consultation with the Leader of the House and the Opposition, to draw up a programme.

Dr Kewal Krishan won the elections from Mukerian in Hoshiarpur. Born on October 10, 1923, he is a postgraduate and holds a diploma in medical science. He first entered the Vidhan Sabha in the mid-term elections in 1969.

He has had a chequered political career, beginning as a municipal commissioner. He has served the party, both in the organisational and legislative wings, in various capacities. He is widely travelled.

He was elected to the Vidhan Sabha for the sixth time in 1992 and became the Finance Minister. This is his seventh term in the House.