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Senior BJP legislator Sitasharan Sharma was today unanimously elected as the Speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly.
The proposal to elect Sharma, who represents Hoshangabad seat, was moved by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and seconded by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Narottam Mishra. From the Opposition bench, the proposal was supported by senior Congress MLAs, Mahendra Singh, Satyaprakash Sakhwar, Dr Govind Singh, newly-nominated Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Satyadev Katare, besides Independent MLA Kal Singh Bhabar.
Sharma's appointment was announced later by pro-tem Speaker K D Deshmukh.
After the announcement, Chouhan and other senior leaders accompanied Sharma to the Speaker's Chair as per the convention.
Congratulating Sharma for becoming Speaker, Chouhan said it was important for the Chair to act in an impartial manner.
Katare also greeted Sharma on the occasion and urged him to ensure that at least 75 sittings of the House take place in a year so that Opposition gets ample opportunity to raise issues of public interest on the floor.
Expressing his gratitude, Sharma assured the House that he will not only protect rights of its members but also ensure that it will function as per the rules and traditions.
