Election of the Speaker of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly will take place on Tuesday.
The Left Democratic Front has fielded Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s M.B. Rajesh, who represents the Trithala constituency in Palakkad district, for the post. The United Democratic Front (UDF) has fielded Congress legislator P.C. Vishnunadh, elected from the Kundara constituency in Kollam district, as their candidate.
Two sets of nominations were filed for Mr. Rajesh by the LDF and one set for Mr. Vishnunadh by the UDF by noon on Monday. All the nominations are valid and the election will commence on Tuesday when the House meets at 9 a.m with pro-tem Speaker P.T.A. Rahim in the chair, Legislature Secretary S.V. Unnikrishnan Nair said.
Row-wise
Two make-shift polling booths will be set up behind the Speaker’s chair to expedite the voting and the ballot box will be kept near the chair. The legislators will be called row-wise starting from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Once the results are announced, the new Speaker will be escorted to the Chair by the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition to assume charge. Of the 140 seats in the Assembly, the LDF has 99 legislators and the UDF 41.