Rathindra Bose Elected Speaker of West Bengal Assembly

Rathindra Bose was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the 18th West Bengal Assembly on 15 May 2026. He is a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from the Cooch Behar Dakshin constituency and a first-time legislator in the 294-member House.

Speaker of a State Legislative Assembly

The Speaker is the presiding officer of a State Legislative Assembly under the Constitution of India. The Speaker conducts proceedings, maintains order in the House, and decides on procedural matters during sittings.

West Bengal Legislative Assembly

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly is a unicameral legislature with 294 seats. The 18th Assembly includes 207 Bharatiya Janata Party legislators, which formed the numerical basis for the Speaker’s election.

Election Procedure in the Assembly

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari proposed Rathindra Bose’s name in the House. Pro tem Speaker Tapas Roy conducted a voice vote, and Bose was declared elected after the Bharatiya Janata Party supported him in the Assembly.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Speaker of a Legislative Assembly presides over the lower house in a State legislature.
• A pro tem Speaker is appointed temporarily to conduct the first sitting of a newly elected Assembly.
• West Bengal has a unicameral legislature with 294 elected members in the Assembly.
• Rathindra Bose is the first legislator from North Bengal to hold the Speaker’s chair in post-Independence West Bengal history.

Profile of Rathindra Bose

Rathindra Bose won his seat in the 2026 West Bengal election from Cooch Behar Dakshin. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession and entered the Assembly as a first-time MLA.