Meira Kumar breaks new ground, succeeds Somnath in LS

Newly appointed Union Water Resources Minister Meira Kumar has been today named as India's first woman Lok Sabha Speaker. Meira succeeds Somnath Chatterjee. She is a Dalit leader and a 5-time MP. Kumar scored over Andhra Pradesh tribal leader V Kishore Chandra Deo and Rajasthan's Girija Vyas to win the seat.

Newly appointed Union Water Resources Minister Meira Kumar has been today named as India's first woman Lok Sabha Speaker.

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Meira succeeds Somnath Chatterjee. She is a Dalit leader and a 5-time MP. Kumar scored over Andhra Pradesh tribal leader V Kishore Chandra Deo and Rajasthan's Girija Vyas to win the seat.

Meira Kumar met Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday afternoon.

Meira Kumar had on Friday taken charge as the minister for water resources in the new Manmohan Singh government. She won from Sasaram in Bihar.

Meira Kumar quit the Indian Foreign Service to take to politics in 1985. A law graduate, she also holds a Masters degree in English literature.