New Delhi, June 8
National Democratic Alliance nominee Charanjit Singh Atwal is set to be unanimously elected Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha tomorrow.
The Shiromani Akali Dal MP was the only candidate left in the fray for the post that was offered by the Congress-led UPA government to the Opposition. Over a dozen papers were filed by both government and Opposition members on Mr Atwal's behalf. The election is slated for tomorrow.
The ruling coalition offered the post to the Opposition after unanimity was reached on the name of Mr Somnath Chatterjee as Speaker, who was elected last week.
Sources said the choice of Mr Atwal was made last night at a meeting of NDA leaders at the residence of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is Chairman of the NDA.
The Shiromani Akali Dal had been pressing for their candidate for the post. Elected to Lok Sabha from the Phillaur
(reserved) seat, Mr Atwal held the office of the Punjab Assembly Speaker for five years during the previous Akali-BJP government.
Among those who proposed Mr Atwal's name were Union ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Sharad Pawar, Laloo Prasad Yadav and Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Verma.
From the NDA, Mr Vajpayee, former Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani, NDA Convener George Fernandes, Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire and Akali leader S. S. Dhindsa proposed Mr Atwal's name.
Soon after filing nominations, Mr Atwal said he would be impartial in his job as Deputy Speaker. He said the post had been offered to him keeping in view his experience and he was thankful for the offer.
Born in Montgomery district of Pakistan on March 15, 1937, Mr Atwal passed his BA from a college in Ludhiana and LLB from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Mr Atwal was also a member of the eighth Lok Sabha. He was then elected from Ropar.
Mr Atwal has been Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He has attended several Commonwealth Parliamentary meets, including those held in Ghana, Mauritius, Wellington, Trinidad and Tobago, London, Edinburgh and Barbados. He also attended the World Punjabi Conference in Chicago.
Mr Atwal attended All-India Presiding Officers Conferences at Shimla and Hyderabad and hosted the 64th All-India Presiding Officers Conference at Chandigarh.
He attended the World Peace Summit held in New York that was organised by the United Nations.
Mr Atwal has been Chairman of the Committee on Welfare of SCs, STs and BCs in the state assembly. He was a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SC/ST/BC of the eighth Lok Sabha and a member of the Dr Ambedkar Foundation set up by the Central government.
Mr Atwal would be the second member from the Sikh community to hold the post of Deputy Speaker, the first being Hukum Singh who was elected to the post in March 1956.
Hailing the NDA decision, Mr Dhindsa said his party was grateful to Mr Vajpayee, Mr Advani and the NDA allies.
National Commission of Minorities Chairman Tarlochan Singh said the naming of Mr Atwal’s for the post showed that the minorities were getting their due in India.
SAD Delhi unit chief Avtar Singh Hit said the party was happy that Mr Atwal’s name was proposed by the NDA. He said the decision would silence those who claimed that the SAD was supporting the BJP for no reason.
