Chozhavandan (SC) MLA Karuppaiya has assumed charge as the pro-tem Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Governor Arlekar administered the oath at a function held at Raj Bhavan on Saturday evening.
The appointment comes as the newly sworn-in Chief Minister Vijay has been asked by the Governor to prove his majority in the Assembly by May 13. As per procedure, newly elected MLAs will take oath before the pro-tem Speaker.
The Assembly is scheduled to convene on May 11 at 9.30 am, when new MLAs are expected to be sworn in before Karuppaiya. A confidence vote to establish the government’s majority is also expected to be held, and Karuppaiya will preside over the proceedings.
A new Speaker is slated to be elected on May 12, after which the new government will be required to demonstrate its majority on the floor of the House.
Karuppaiya had earlier won the Chozhavandan constituency in the 2011 Assembly election as an AIADMK candidate, and returned to the Assembly after about a decade by winning the seat this time on the TVK ticket. The Raj Bhavan event was attended by Chief Minister Vijay, Minister Sengottaiyan and others.
Separately, the Tamil Nadu government announced the appointment of IAS officers Senthilkumar and Lakshmipriya as the Chief Minister’s secretaries. Senthilkumar, currently Health Secretary, has been named Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, while Lakshmipriya, who served as Adi Dravidar Welfare Secretary, has been appointed as the Chief Minister’s Private Secretary for a one-year term.
