Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday paid floral tributes to former Lok Sabha Speaker M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar on his birth anniversary at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Members of Parliament, former Members of Parliament and Secretary General of the Lok Sabha Utpal Kumar Singh also offered floral tributes on the occasion.
Ayyangar was a veteran freedom fighter and a distinguished parliamentarian who played a key role in shaping India’s parliamentary traditions. His legislative career spanned several important institutions, including the Central Legislative Assembly, the Constituent Assembly, the Provisional Parliament and the First to Third Lok Sabhas.
When the First Lok Sabha was constituted in 1952, Ayyangar was unanimously chosen as its Deputy Speaker, having earlier served as Deputy Speaker of the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) and the Provisional Parliament. Following the sudden demise of then Speaker G.V. Mavalankar, he was unanimously elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on March 8, 1956. He was again unanimously elected Speaker of the Second Lok Sabha in 1957.
Although elected to the Third Lok Sabha, Ayyangar resigned soon thereafter to take charge as the Governor of Bihar. He passed away on March 19, 1978.
