Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Wednesday nominated P. Dhanapal and Pollachi V. Jayaraman for the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Assembly, elections for which are scheduled on June 3.
Jayalalithaa announced the candidature of the two MLAs in a statement, and the two are expected to be elected to the posts, given the comfortable majority the AIADMK has in the House.
Dhanapal was the Speaker in the previous Assembly while Jayaraman was his deputy. Elections to the key posts are scheduled on June 3. Meanwhile, an official release from the Assembly secretariat said finance minister O. Panneerselvam has been appointed Leader of the House with effect from today.
S. Rajendran (Ariyalur) will be the Chief Government whip. AIADMK has a strength of 133 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly with three vacancies.
Elections to Thanjavur and Aravakurichi constituencies have been deferred by the Election Commission due to electoral malpractices while AIADMK’s S.M. Seenivel, elected to Assembly from Tirupparankundram in the May 16 polls, died Wednesday morning before taking oath as an MLA.
