Meira Kumar elected Lok Sabha speaker, unanimously

Meira Kumar Wednesday became the first woman speaker of the Indian parliament.

The 64-year-old Congress leader from Bihar, a Dalit, was elected unanimously through voice vote after party president Sonia Gandhi proposed her name and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee seconded it.

The five-time MP, also a former foreign service officer, is the daughter of former deputy prime minister Jagjivan Ram.

Her nomination was also backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after it became clear that she was the only candidate for the post.

Altogether 13 sets of nominations were submitted Tuesday by Mukherjee to Lok Sabha secretary general P.D.T. Achary. Those who backed her included Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.

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