Quicktakes

P M Sayeed is new Dy Speaker

NEW DELHI: Senior Congressman P M Sayeed was today unanimously elected deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee moved the motion for Sayeed8217;s election and it was seconded by leader of Opposition in the House Sharad Pawar. Later, leaders from other parties supported Sayeed8217;s candidature through other such motions. Sayeed8217;s election had become a mere formality when the ruling BJP recently succumbed to the pressure from its own allies, mainly Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalitha, who held that keeping with the parliamentary tradition, the post should go to the opposition. For several months, the BJP was toying with the idea of pushing their own MP Rita Verma for the job.