THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF Government on Thursday got through the first litmus test in the Assembly by getting elected its nominee G Karthikeyan as the Speaker of the House.Soon after the results were declared, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan accompanied Karthikeyan to the Speaker's chair, which was followed by felicitations by the party leaders.Both the Chief Minister and the Opposition Leader pledged their support to the Speaker for the smooth conduct of business in the House.Achuthanandan said the Speaker would have to face a strong Opposition this time of 68 members while the ruling side would have only 50 members, excluding the Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and the representative for the Parliamentary Affairs. In his reply, the Speaker said he would act with due regard to his responsibilities and give importance for ensuring the smooth conduct of the official business. He said he would also ensure the rights of the Opposition members and urged al the members to uphold the dignity of the House.Karthikeyan, who became the 20th Speaker of the Kerala Legislature, has been a member of the House for the past 25 years. He was a Minister twice, both in the A K Antonyled governments.Born on January 20, 1949, Karthikeyan is a law graduate and entered politics through the KSU. He later became the state president of KSU and also assumed the same position in the Youth Congress. In the last Assembly, he was the deputy leader of the Opposition.
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