Two-time Aam Aadmi Party MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan was on Monday unanimously elected as Speaker of the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann proposed Mr. Sandhwan's name in the House and Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema seconded it.
Mr. Sandhwan, 46, won from the Kotkapura seat in the recent State polls. He defeated Congress candidate Ajaipal Singh Sandhu by a margin of 21,130 votes.
Mr. Sandhwan is the grandnephew of former president Giani Zail Singh and will succeed former Speaker Rana K.P. Singh.
In his maiden speech on the floor of the House, Mr. Mann congratulated Mr. Sandhwan on his election and assured members that all efforts will be made to ensure that the Assembly proceedings are live-streamed.
He said audio and video recordings of the members will be provided to them and media persons.
Mr. Mann expressed hope that the Opposition will play a constructive role in making the Punjab Vidhan Sabha a model House in the country.
He also said that all members of the House will contribute towards making a radiant, progressive and front-runner Punjab.
He said the government will give detailed answers to all members' questions to their satisfaction.
"Unfortunately, our predecessors used to victimise their political opponents by using the privilege motion when anyone was recording the proceedings," Mr. Mann said.
This, he said, was a blatant violation of the right to freedom of the members. The AAP government has in-principle decided that this will never happen again in the future.
Among the Opposition legislators who congratulated Mr. Sandhwan were Congress' Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Partap Singh Bajwa and Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Shiromani Akali Dal's Manpreet Singh Ayali and BJP's Ashwani Sharma.
The Opposition members expressed hope that the Speaker will allow them equal opportunities to raise public issues in the House.
While congratulating Mr. Sandhwan, Mr. Khaira, Congress MLA from Bholath, assured that the Opposition will play a constructive role in the House.
He urged the Speaker to extend the duration of Assembly sessions so that all members can raise issues of their respective constituencies.
Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress MLA from Qadian, also suggested the same.
State Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer urged the members not to make any personal remarks or use objectionable language against anyone in the House.
In the end, Mr. Sandhwan thanked the members of the House for electing him unanimously. He noted it is the first time that an MLA from the Malwa region has become the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.
He also thanked Mr. Mann and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Mr. Sandhwan is the president of the AAP's farmer wing and has been actively raising farming-related issues.
