Puducherry, Jun 16 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Embalam R. Selvam has been elected unopposed as the new Speaker of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. Protem Speaker K. Lakshminarayanan declared Selvam elected as the Speaker since there was no other nomination filed for the post.

He is the second first-term legislator to become Speaker after Congress leader V.P. Sivakozhunthu was elected unopposed as the Speaker in the previous Legislative Assembly.

Selvam was accompanied to his chair by Puducherry Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, and Opposition leader, R. Siva.

Selvam, 57, is a postgraduate in political science and was with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for 36 years when he switched sides to the BJP and is currently the party's state Vice-President.

He has been the Vice-President of the Puducherry State Olympic Association and was the President of the State Ball Badminton Association and State Net Ball Association. The senior leader was also the President of the Puducherry State Milk Producers Union.