Rathindra Bose, a BJP MLA, was unanimously chosen as the Speaker of the 18th West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Friday, making him the first representative from North Bengal to occupy the position, as reported by PTI.
His candidature was put forward in the House by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, after which pro tem Speaker Tapas Roy held a voice vote. Roy later announced Bose’s election as Speaker after receiving the backing of all 207 BJP MLAs in the assembly.
Who is Rabindra Bose?
A chartered accountant by profession, Bose had long been associated with the RSS before entering active politics.
Bose secured victory from the Cooch Behar constituency by a margin of 23,284 votes, or 11.4 percentage points, defeating Avijit De Bhowmik of the All India Trinamool Congress.
Congratulating him on the appointment, Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari said that Bose, a chartered accountant by profession, brings valuable administrative knowledge along with organisational experience to the position.
Bose became the first MLA from north Bengal in post-Independence history to hold the Speaker’s chair in the West Bengal assembly.
Adhikari had on Thursday announced Bose, the MLA from Cooch Behar Dakshin seat, as the BJP’s candidate for the Speaker’s post in the newly constituted 18th West Bengal assembly, while the opposition TMC decided not to field a nominee.
Speaking to reporters at the Assembly, Bose said he would carry out the responsibility entrusted to him by the party with sincerity and would seek guidance from experienced legislators whenever necessary.
“If elected, I will discharge my responsibilities with the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’,” he said.
Bose had filed his nomination for the post of Speaker on Thursday.
With the BJP enjoying an overwhelming majority of 207 MLAs in the 294-member House after its emphatic victory in the recent assembly polls, Bose’s elevation was a mere formality. The TMC’s decision to stay away from the contest cleared the path for his election without a fight.
Why does Bose’s selection matter?
The development is being seen as a strategic signal from the BJP government towards a region that has emerged as one of the BJP’s strongest political bastions in the state over the last decade.
Bose’s election is also seen as a departure from a long-observed political convention in the state, where parties traditionally preferred lawyers or legislators with legal backgrounds for the Speaker’s chair.
Political analysts view Rathindra Bose’s nomination as more than just an administrative decision, seeing it as an effort by the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership to address regional aspirations and recognise emerging leaders while strengthening its political presence after engineering a historic change in power in West Bengal, PTI reported.
Previous speakers
During the previous TMC regime, veteran legislator Biman Banerjee served as Speaker.
Earlier, under Left Front governments, political leaders, such as Syed Abdul Mansur Habibullah and Hashim Abdul Halim, had occupied the chair.
After Bose was elected Speaker, Adhikari addressed the assembly. Leader of the Opposition Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay also delivered a speech welcoming the new Speaker and raised the issue of alleged post-poll violence.
