CPI’s V Sasi elected Deputy Speaker

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI leader V Sasi has been elected the Deputy Speaker of the 14th Kera;a Legislative Assembly.

MLA from Chirayinkeezh constituency, Sasi bagged 90 votes against UDF’s IC Balakrishnan’s 45 votes after voting took place Wednesday morning on the floor of the House.

Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan did not vote. Although Anglo-Indian representative John Fernandez and Independent member PC George also cast their votes, George wasted his vote on purpose in a pattern that he demonstrated earlier during the election of the Speaker.

Lone BJP member O. Rajagopal did not present himself for the vote.

Two other legislators from the Opposition and one from the ruling LDF also did not vote due to various reasons.

The ruling front has a strength of 92 in the 140-strong Assembly while the Opposition has 47.