New Delhi: After a woman President, India may get its first woman Lok Sabha Speaker. Sources tell CNN-IBN the Congress is keen on installing either Meira Kumar or Girija Vyas in the Speaker’s chair.
Discussions about fielding a woman for the post dominated a meeting of top leadership of Congress, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, which came two days ahead of the first session of the 15th Lok Sabha.
Sources say Sonia Gandhi is keen on pushing through the long delayed Women's Reservation Bill in this Lok Sabha. Electing a woman speaker could give that proposal a push.
The party initially appeared to be planning to field Kishore Chandra Deo, a senior Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh, for the post but later put his name on the back burner.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is reported to have invited Opposition leader LK Advani to decide on a Deputy Speaker.
Sources say the Congress has offered the post of Deputy Speaker to the Opposition NDA.
WHO IS MEIRA KUMAR
Meira Kumar is currently the Union Water Resources Minister. Which means she will have to quit that post should she become the Speaker.
A Dalit leader, she is the daughter of former Deputy Prime Minister and Congress heavyweight, Babu Jagjivan Ram.
She was an IFS officer before joining politics and was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1985.
She has served previously in the Manmohan Singh cabinet as the Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment.
WHO IS GIRJA VYAS
Girija Vyas too is a key contender for the post. Vyas was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from the Chittorahgarh constituency in Rajasthan.
She has been the Chairman of the National Commission for Women for the past three years.
She has served as a Deputy Minister in the Narsimha Rao government and was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991 from Udaipur.
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