Harvinder Kalyan elected Speaker, packed House on Day 1

Chandigarh: The first session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha after the Haryana Assembly elections witnessed a packed House, oaths being taken by 90-odd MLAs in different languages, a war of words and reconciliation between Anil Vij and Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

During the session on Friday, BJP MLA Harvinder Singh Kalyan, who won from Gharaunda, his third win in a row, was elected Speaker of the Assembly while Krishna Middha, MLA from Jind for the third time, was elected Deputy Speaker.

The MLAs of 15 state assemblies were administered the oath by the protem Speaker Raghubir Singh Kadian. After this, CM Nayab Singh Saini nominated Kalyan for the post of Speaker, with PWD minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa backing him. Saini, Vij, Cabinet minister Krishan Lal Panwar, Gangwa and Mahipal Singh Dhanda led Kalyan to the Speaker’s chair.

Later, the Congress raised an objection, stating that the Opposition was ignored though the Speaker was elected unanimous. Vij said that Hooda should have also come along, while Hooda responded by saying that the government should have seen that everyone should be taken along. Saini subsequently stepped towards Hooda, shook hands with him, and they went on to congratulate Kalyan. Later, all the MLAs met the Speaker one by one and congratulated him.

The Deputy Speaker was elected thereafter. Development and Panchayat minister Krishan Lal Panwar proposed the name of Jind MLA Middha for the post.

As there was no other name for the post, Middha was also elected unanimously. CM Saini said that this was “the first time in the assembly that the Speaker happened to be an engineer and the Deputy Speaker a doctor”.