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From teen in RSS shakha to Speaker's Chair: Bihar BJP leader Prem Kumar's long journey

PATNA: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Prem Kumar was elected unanimously as Bihar Assembly Speaker on Tuesday, a day after he filed his nomination papers for the post. Pro-tem Speaker Narendra Narayan Yadav announced Kumars election as the 18th Speaker of the Bihar Assembly. Soon after the formal announcement, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav escorted 70-year-old Prem Kumar to the Speakers chair amid clapping from both treasury and opposition benches in the House. This is the first time since 2015 that the Speaker has been elected unopposed. Prem Kumar, who won for a record ninth time from Gaya Town assembly constituency, later said that he would give equal treatment to the ruling dispensation and the Opposition in the House. For the chair, both Treasury and Opposition benches are equal. There will be no disparity at all, he added. He said that the House should be a place for meaningful discussions that contribute to Bihars development. Later chief minister Nitish Kumar and LoP Tejashwi Yadav congratulated Prem Kumar for being elected as new Speaker. Nitish said, I request all the members to cooperate with him in the smooth conduct of the House. Before his election as Speaker, Kumar had served in various capacities, including as minister and LoP since 1990. Prem Kumars political journey started from Dulhinganj locality of Gaya town where he used to attend RSS sponsored shakhas. Hailing from the Dhanuk caste, which is part of the OBC, Prem Kumar later became a member of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). His schoolmate Prabhat Kumar Sinha recalled that Prem Kumar was sent to jail during the 1974 movement. After spending eight months in Gaya central jail, he was released on bail. However, he continued his fight against the Emergency imposed by the Congress in 1977. After the Emergency, he joined the BJP and was appointed as district general secretary of Gaya. He worked for strengthening the party at block and panchayat levels, which drew senior leaders attention, and he was fielded as the BJP candidate from Gaya in the 1990 assembly polls. He emerged victorious in the elections and since then he has never lost from the seat. It is hard to believe that a teen-aged boy who used to attend RSS sponsored shakhas in the premises of Mahavir High School and Azad Park is now Speaker of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha. It is a journey full of dedication, perseverance and organisational skill, said Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Gaya.