Former Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane was on Friday elected unopposed speaker of Goa Assembly.
Pro tem speaker Aleixo Sequiera declared Rane, candidate of the Congress-led combine, elected after main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Laxmikant Parsekar withdrew his nomination a short while before the election.
Interestingly, an independent candidate, Anil Salgaoncar, who had filed nomination backed by two BJP legislators, also withdrew his nomination paving way for Rane to be the speaker.
Rane is the longest serving member of Legislative assembly and was elected on Congress ticket from Porim constituency in the June 2 Assembly elections.
"I am pleased to have a senior person like Rane as speaker of the Legislative Assembly," Chief Minister Digamber
Kamat said on the floor of the House after the election.
Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar, in his brief speech on the floor, assured all support to the speaker.
Earlier, all the 40 members of Goa Legislative Assembly were administered oath by pro tem speaker Sequiera.