Puducherry, June 14(BPNS)

First-term legislator of the BJP, Embalam R Selvam has filed nomination papers for the election of Puducherry Assembly Speaker for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He is the MLA from Manaveli assembly constituency and is the party-state general secretary.

He handed over his nomination papers to the Assembly Secretary R Mounissamy along with the Puducherry Chief Minister, N Rangasamy and BJP legislative party leader A Namassivayam.

BJP state president V Swaminathan, BJP legislators, and independent MLA’s supporting the party were present during the submission of nomination papers.

Opposition DMK and Congress is unlikely to field a candidate to oppose the NDA candidate R Selvam. The last date for filing of nomination is Tuesday, June 15.

If the opposition does not  field a candidate, Embalam R Selvam will be elected unopposed by the Proterm Speaker, K Lakshminarayanan. The Puducherry assembly is convened on June 16 and if R Selvam is elected unopposed, the Proterm Speaker will make the announcement in the assembly.

It may be noted that on the basis of the agreement within the NDA, the Puducherry cabinet will have six ministers with 4 from the All India NR Congress of the Chief Minister N Rangasamy and 2 ministers from the BJP. The Speaker will be from the BJP while the Deputy Speaker will have an AINRC representative.

The DMK had charged that the BJP with its strength of 6 MLA’s in the assembly had nominated 3 more legislators under the Government of India quota and had roped in one independent MLA to take over the mantle of Chief Minister from the AINRC. However, both the BJP and AINRC had pooh-poohed the allegation and charged the DMK of creating unnecessary controversies.