Majlis MLA is Pro-tem Speaker; Who will be next Speaker of T Assembly?

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Mumtaz Ahmed Khan will be Pro-tem Speaker for the Telangana Assembly. The Pro-tem Speaker performs the responsibilities of office of the Speaker for Telangana Assembly till the election of the Speaker. After assuming charge as chief minister for the second term, K Chandrashekhar Rao is continuing the government with one minister only i.e. Mahamood Ali as home minister.

Telangana Assembly session is scheduled to be held during January 17-20 for four days. Mumtaz Ahmed Khan will assume charge as Pro-tem Speaker on January 16 evening and MLAs will participate in swear- in ceremony on the next day. Speaker election schedule and nominations will be announced on January 17. Speaker will be elected on January 18 and the Governor ESL Narasimhan will address both the Houses on January 19. On Janauary 20, the Assembly will pass a resolution thanking the Governor’s speech.

It’s become a point of discussion in the political corridor about the candidate selection for the Speaker position. Speculation is more on Speaker position rather than who’ll become ministers. It may be recalled that several senior MLAs and former ministers are chary of Speaker’s position as no Speaker won in successive elections. Several MLAs met KCR and TRS working president KT Rama Rao and requested them not to consider their candidatures for Speaker position.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has thanked the chief minister KCR for choosing his party MLA from Charminar constituency. Owaisi in a tweet expressed his gratitude to KCR and congratulated Khan, who won six times in Assembly elections.

“Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, six times MLA of Charminar from MIM will be made Pro-tem Speaker of Telangana Assembly. I am thankful to @TelanganaCMO KCR sahib,” said Owaisi in his tweet.

Former Speaker Sirikonda Madusudhana Chary has the distinction of the becoming the first Speaker of the newly created Telangana state. Chary couldn’t retain his seat from Bhupalapally constituency as he lost to the Congress candidate Gandra Venkat Ramana Reddy in the recently held Assembly elections.