Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan elected as new Kerala Assembly Speaker

Thiruvananthapuram: In a departure from parliamentary tradition, seven-time Congress legislator Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was elected Speaker of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly on Friday following an unprecedented three-cornered contest that highlighted shifting political alignments within the state. For the first time in the history of the assembly, the vote for the speaker’s post featured candidates from all three major political coalitions represented in the House.

While the ruling United Democratic Front fielded the veteran Radhakrishnan, the Left Democratic Front nominated former minister A.C. Moideen, and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance put forward B.B. Gopakumar, one of the three BJP members in the current legislature. With Pro-tem Speaker G. Sudhakaran serving as the returning officer and abstaining from the vote, a total of 139 legislators cast their secret ballots. Sudhakaran subsequently announced that Radhakrishnan had secured a commanding 101 votes, comfortably defeating Moideen, who received 35 votes, and Gopakumar, who secured three.

The official declaration was met with widespread desk-thumping across the chamber as lawmakers from all political parties stepped forward to congratulate the 76-year-old veteran. In a symbolic gesture of democratic unity, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan jointly escorted the newly elected Speaker to his elevated chair.

In a warm opening address, Chief Minister Satheesan described Radhakrishnan as a political role model renowned for his measured approach, fondly recalling his own days as a student activist campaigning for the veteran leader. He noted that Radhakrishnan has managed roughly 17 different ministerial portfolios throughout his career and argued that this vast administrative experience would serve the House exceptionally well. Opposition Leader Vijayan echoed these sentiments, praising Radhakrishnan’s extensive public service and expressing absolute confidence in his ability to execute his prestigious constitutional duties with strict impartiality.

Widely regarded as a master of consensus politics, Radhakrishnan has represented the Kottayam constituency continuously since 1991, remaining undefeated for over three decades following an initial setback in his 1987 electoral debut. Having previously served as a high-profile minister in the late Oommen Chandy cabinet, he now steps into one of the most demanding and legally sensitive roles in Kerala's political landscape.

(Inputs from IANS)