2 days ago
1
Senior Congress person and erstwhile Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was elected arsenic Speaker of the 16th Kerala Legislative Assembly connected Friday (May 22, 2026).
In the elections held to the Speaker’s post, Mr. Radhakrishnan won 101 votes, portion A.C. Moideen of the Opposition Left Democratic beforehand (LDF) and B.B. Gopakumar of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA won 35 and 3 votes respectively.
The Congress-led UDF holds 102 of the 140 seats successful the House.
Pro Tem Speaker G. Sudhakaran, who had won arsenic UDF-backed Independent successful Ambalappuzha, chose not to ballot connected the grounds that helium had supervised the predetermination arsenic Returning Officer.
The members formed their votes connected ballot papers which were past placed successful a container adjacent to the Speaker’s chair. The votes were counted successful the beingness of the representatives of the 3 fronts.
Mr. Sudhakaran declared Mr. Radhakrishnan arsenic the winner, describing him arsenic a seasoned person who was “simple and accessible to all.”
Later, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan led Mr. Radhakrishnan to the Speaker’s chair.
An eight-time MLA and erstwhile Minister, Mr. Radhakrishnan succeeds A.N. Shamseer of the CPI(M) arsenic Speaker. At 77, Mr. Radhakrishnan is 1 of the elder members successful the existent Assembly.
He started his governmental beingness done the Kerala Students Union and the Youth Congress. He was elected to the Kerala Assembly successful 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006 from Adoor. He has represented Kottayam successful 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026. In the 2004-06 UDF Ministry, helium handled the Water Resources, Health and Forest portfolios connected assorted occasions. In the 2011-16 UDF Ministry, helium handled Home, Revenue, Forests during antithetic periods.
Mr. Satheesan described Mr. Radhakrishnan, whose acquisition arsenic legislator spans three-and-a-half decades, arsenic “a exemplary for the younger members.” As Minister during antithetic UDF terms, helium has handled astir 17 antithetic portfolios, Mr. Satheesan recalled.
Greeting Mr. Radhakrishnan, Mr. Vijayan expressed the anticipation that his immense acquisition arsenic legislator would clasp him bully stead arsenic Speaker. “The Speaker represents the corporate dependable of the House erstwhile helium protects the interests of the Opposition also,” said Mr. Vijayan. He besides extended the afloat enactment of the Opposition to the caller Speaker.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar of the BJP requested Mr. Radhakrishnan to guarantee that opportunities are fixed to each members to contiguous the people’s problems successful the Assembly. Efforts should besides beryllium taken to promote caller members, helium said.
Mr. Radhakrishnan said helium would marque “sincere efforts to support impartiality and guarantee justness and opportunity” to the ruling beforehand arsenic good arsenic the Opposition parties.
The Assembly volition convene again connected May 29 for the argumentation code by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
