Gaddam Prasad Kumar, a Congress legislator from Vikarabad, was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Telangana Assembly on Thursday. This makes him the first Dalit Speaker in the state’s history. Prasad was the only candidate to file the nomination, and upon the request of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and other ministers, the BRS and BJP agreed to make the election unanimous.
After Pro-Tem Speaker Akbaruddin Owaisi declared Prasad as the third Speaker of the Assembly, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his deputy Bhatti Vikramarka escorted Prasad to the Speaker’s Chair. Prasad Kumar, who is an MLA from Vikarabad (SC), previously served as a minister during the Congress regime in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Revanth Reddy expressed gratitude to all parties for supporting Prasad and stated that the Speaker has experience in managing a joint family. He hoped that Prasad would run the Assembly without discrimination and provide solutions to the people’s problems. The Chief Minister praised Prasad’s growth from an MPTC post to the Speaker’s post, highlighting his achievements in solving weavers’ issues and developing Vikarabad as a satellite town.
The Deputy CM emphasized that the Speaker would contribute to meaningful discussions and solutions for public issues in the Assembly. Opposition members requested ample time for all members, while KT Rama Rao hoped that Prasad would uphold democratic values like previous Speakers. CPI member Sambasiva Rao suggested that the Speaker study the performance of earlier Speakers and allocate more time to members like him.
Before adjourning the session, the Pro-Tem Speaker administered the oath to MLAs, including Ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and N Uttam Kumar Reddy, as well as BRS leader K T Rama Rao and BJP members. The House was informed that Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan would address a joint sitting of the Assembly and Council on Friday.
