Newly elected assembly speaker CP Joshi hopes members would work together for a ‘new Rajasthan’

CP Joshi was unanimously elected speaker of the 15th Rajasthan legislative assembly on Wednesday. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot proposed Joshi’s name and it was seconded by leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria.

Joshi, 68, the former Union minister who was also the state unit president of Congress, was elected from Nathdwara constituency in the assembly elections held last month.

Deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot also proposed Joshi’s name which was seconded by former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

Deputy leader of opposition in the assembly Rajendra Rathore, independent MLAs Mahadev Singh Khandela and Kanti Prasad, CPI(M) MLA Balwan Poonia, and BSP MLA Rajendra Singh Gudha also proposed Joshi’s name. Congress’ Mahesh Joshi, independents ALok Beniwal and Babu Lal Nagar, CPI(M)‘s Girdhari Lal and Rashtriya Lok Tantrik Party’s Hanuman Beniwal seconded Joshi’s name.

The House was then adjourned for the day.

When the House assembled in the morning, pro-tem speaker Gulab Chand Kataria administered oath of office to MLA Hemaram Choudhary who was absent on Tuesday.

After that Joshi was unanimously elected as the speaker through voice vote.

Gehlot congratulated Joshi on behalf of the House, noting that Joshi’s ties with the assembly go back 38 years.

In his congratulatory speech, Kataria said Joshi’s long experience in political life would help him in running the House.

Beniwal took potshots at the previous BJP government. He said in the previous assembly session, MLAs were called goons and thrown out of the House. Rajendra Rathore objected to Beniwal’s statements and urged him not to make “personal remarks”.

With Congress and BJP MLAs creating a ruckus, the CM intervened and asked the members to maintain decorum. Kataria, too, said the occasion did not warrant members indulging in a “blame game”.

CPI(M)’s Bhagwan Poonia said that the speaker should give members belonging to smaller parties more time to speak in the House as they have won “after defeating the bigger parties”. He also raised the issue of allotment of residential houses to some MLAs by the former speaker.

Joshi thanked the members and said the House should debate and discuss issues that concern the people. He said he hoped members would work together to create “a new Rajasthan”.