Deputy Speaker P. Dhanapal is all set to get elected as Speaker and fill the vacancy caused by the recent resignation of D. Jayakumar. Governor K. Rosaiah has summoned the House to meet on October 10, when the Speaker’s election would be held.
AIADMK supremo and chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has nominated Dhanapal as her candidate. With the ruling party enjoying absolute majority in the House, the election of Dhanapal, a dalit from Rasipuram (Namakkal district), is a foregone conclusion.
Nominations for Speaker’s post close at noon on October 9, according to Assembly secretary A. M. P. Jamaludeen.
The Assembly had earlier been summoned to meet on October 30 but Jayakumar’s exit led to the session getting advanced. After getting elected, the new Speaker will announce the schedule for the election of deputy Speaker.
Sixty-one-year-old Dhanapal is a four-time MLA and had represented Sankagiri thrice from the MGR era. A staunch Jayalalithaa loyalist, he was food minister in her previous government.
Even though dailts have been deputy speakers many times in the TN Assembly, this is only the second time that someone from the community will adorn the Speaker’s chair—the first was Congressman J Shivashanmugam Pillai in the first Assembly during 1952-55.
“It goes to the credit of chief minister Jayalalithaa to have made a dalit the Speaker of our Assembly. She has done us a great honour.
Two crore dalits will be grateful”, said C. K. Thamizharasan, MLA and national general secretary of Republican Party of India.