Bengal House Extends Unanimous Support to New Speaker

Rathindra Basu was elected unopposed as the new Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Friday.

Basu, a legislator from Cooch Behar South representing the Bharatiya Janata Party, assumed the position for the first time after securing his maiden victory in the Assembly elections.

The election process was conducted under the supervision of Pro-tem Speaker Tapas Roy. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari formally proposed Rathindra Basu’s name for the post, and the House confirmed the appointment through a voice vote.

Members of the All India Trinamool Congress were initially absent during the election proceedings but later joined the Assembly session. Basu’s unanimous election is being viewed as a notable moment of consensus in the state Assembly despite political differences between the ruling and opposition parties.

Following the confirmation, Rathindra Basu was escorted to the Speaker’s chair by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Opposition leader Shovondeb Chattopadhyay. The Speaker plays a key constitutional role in conducting Assembly proceedings, maintaining order in the House, and ensuring adherence to legislative rules and procedures.