Virendra Kumar Named Pro Tem Speaker

Virendra Kumar, the seven-time parliamentarianfrom Tikamgarh has been named the pro tem speaker of the17^th LokSabha

As the Lok Sabha's protem speaker, thelawmaker from Madhya Pradesh will administer oath to the newly elected MPs andpreside over the sitting of the Lok Sabha to elect its speaker.

Kumar was elected to 11^th Lok Sabhafor the first time in 1996 and later he was re-elected to the 12^th, 13^th,14^th, 15^th, 16^th and 17^th Lok Sabhacontinuously. He is the third most-senior parliamentarian in Lok Sabha.

Earlier it was expected that Maneka Gandhi,the former women and child development minister, might be appointed as the protem speaker after she did not find a place in Prime Minister Narendra Modi'snew team.

Maneka Gandhi won the Sultanpur seat in UttarPradesh in the Lok Sabha and it is her eighth term as a Lok Sabha member. Shefirst entered the Lok Sabha in 1989.