Rathindra Bose, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Cooch Behar Dakshin, is elected unopposed as Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The election takes place on Friday in the newly constituted 18th Assembly. According to reports, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari proposes Bose’s name in the House, and the pro tem Speaker, Tapas Roy, conducts a voice vote. Bose is declared Speaker after support is extended by all 207 BJP legislators in the House. The process proceeds without a contest because the opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC) does not field a nominee for the Speaker’s post. This means Bose’s elevation is described as a formality, reflecting the BJP’s majority in the 294-member Assembly following recent elections. Sources also note that Bose becomes the first legislator from the northern part of West Bengal to hold the Speaker’s position.