Ramesh Tawadkar defeated Congress candidate Aleixo Sequeira.
BJP MLA Ramesh Tawadkar was on Tuesday elected Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly by defeating Congress candidate Aleixo Sequeira.
Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai had summoned a two-day session of the newly elected 40-member Assembly from Tuesday, a day after Pramod Sawant was sworn in as the chief minister and eight other BJP MLAs took oath as cabinet ministers. After the Assembly session began, pro-tem Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar moved a motion for the Speaker's election.
Mr Tawadkar, who was fielded by the ruling BJP-led group, won the election by securing 24 votes. Mr Sequeira, who was fielded by the opposition Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and the Revolutionary Goans Party, got 15 votes.
Chief Minister Sawant and senior House member Digambar Kamat (of the Congress) then escorted Mr Tawadkar to the Speaker's chair.
In the recently concluded state Assembly polls, the BJP won 20 seats, one short of the majority in the 40-member House. Three independent MLAs and two legislators of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) have extended support to the BJP.
The Congress had won 11 seats in the Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party secured two seats, while the Revolutionary Goans and the Goa Forward party bagged one seat each.