India elects first woman Speaker

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NEW DELHI, June 3 (BBC): India's parliament has elected its first woman Speaker after a sweeping victory for the Congress party in recent general elections.
Meira Kumar, 64, was elected unopposed by a voice vote in parliament. She belongs to the low-caste Dalit - formerly untouchable - community.
She had been sworn in as a cabinet minister, but resigned Sunday after Congress offered her the Speaker's job. Parliament's newly-elected lower house began its first session Monday.
As soon as the Lok Sabha [lower house of parliament] met Wednesday, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi proposed Ms Kumar as the Speaker of the new house.
Leader of opposition LK Advani [of the Bharatiya Janata Party] and other political leaders seconded her name.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Advani then accompanied her to the Speaker's chair to complete the formality.