Senior BJP leader and nine-time MLA Dr. Prem Kumar was unanimously elected Speaker of the 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
After the election, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav congratulated Prem Kumar and escorted him to the Speaker’s chair.
In his inaugural address, Prem Kumar said, “As Speaker, it will be my duty to uphold the rules of the House and protect the rights of all members. We must ensure that dialogue is encouraged amid the diversity of views. We have been given the opportunity to serve the people. For me, both the government and the opposition will be equally important.”
Later, Nitish Kumar congratulated him on behalf of the entire House and extended good wishes to all newly-elected MLAs. He appealed to all members to assist the Speaker in conducting the House smoothly.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav also congratulated the new Speaker on being elected unanimously and praised his long political experience. He expressed confidence that Prem Kumar would run the House impartially and give due respect to both the government and the Opposition. “You have long experience. You have raised the voice of the people, served as a minister, and also as Leader of the Opposition. We believe you will not disappoint anyone. We, in the Opposition, will also stand with you to assist. In democratic traditions, the Opposition in Parliament and Assemblies is considered an integral part of the government,” he said.
Tejashwi urged the Speaker to pay more attention to the Opposition than the ruling party so that a healthy democracy and strong system could be built.
AIMIM leader Akhtarul Iman expressed hope that the Speaker would stand on the side of truth.
Congratulating the Speaker, he said, “At this moment, you are the guardian of our rights and our guide. You face a major challenge. When the ruling party and Opposition are close in numbers, the Opposition naturally holds more strength. But currently the Opposition is very weak, and the ruling party’s numbers are very high. We hope that the power of the ruling side does not end up harming the people of Bihar.”
Dr. Prem Kumar has won the Gaya Town seat for nine consecutive elections. The 69-year-old BJP leader also has extensive and influential administrative experience. He has also served as Minister in the state cabinet and headed several key departments, including agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, cooperatives, disaster management, and environment.