Hyderabad, Jan. 18 (PTI): Senior TRS MLA and former minister Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy was Friday unanimously elected Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly.
Reddys unanimous election was announced by pro tem Speaker Mumtaz Ahmad Khan in the House Friday and he was conducted to the Chair by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and others.
Reddys nomination was the only one to be filed Thursday.
The opposition Congress, Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM, BJP and other parties extended support to his candidature after Rao reached out to them for support.
Reddys candidature was proposed by Rao, senior Congress MLA Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and others on Thursday.
The ruling TRS enjoys a massive majority of 88 in the House of 119.
The first session of the Assembly after the December seven elections began Thursday.
Rao, who spoke after Reddy occupied the Speakers Chair, recalled the 70-year-old leaders political career.
He said great decisions like introduction of Rythu Bandhu (investment support scheme for farmers) and Rythu Beema (life insurance scheme for farmers) were taken when Reddy was the Agriculture Minister.
Similar schemes are now being introduced in states like Odisha and West Bengal, he said.
Rao said he had given Reddy the adjective of being a Lakshmi Putrudu (son of Goddess of wealth Lakshmi) as the agriculture sector did well during his tenure.
Congress member Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy hoped that good legislative practices would be upheld during Srinivasa Reddys tenure as Speaker.
A number of other members from different parties spoke on the occasion.
Thanking Rao and the members, Srinivasa Reddy said he would conduct the House impartially.
He hoped that he would get the cooperation of all members in conducting the proceedings.
Born in 1949, Srinivasa Reddy began his political career in 1977 when he became the president of PACS (Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society) from Desaipet village.
He was elected as District Cooperative Central Bank president of his native Nizamabad district in 1987.
He was elected MLA for the first time in 1994 from Banswada. He was again elected in 1999 and 2009.
Reddy had also served as minister, taking care of different departments. He quit the TDP and resigned from Assembly membership and joined the TRS in 2011.
He was re-elected to the Assembly in the byelection in 2011. After being elected to the Assembly in 2014, he served as Agriculture Minister in the TRS government of Chandrasekhar Rao.
