Bhopal, December 14: Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel on Thursday appointed BJP's senior-most state MLA Gopal Bhargava as the pro-tem speaker of the newly-elected legislative assembly. Patel administered the oath of office to Bhargava at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan here in the presence of the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, among others. Swearing-In Ceremony: BJP Leaders Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla Take Oath As Deputy Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh.

Gopal Bhargava Sworn in as Pro-tem Speaker

In the state polls held last month, Bhargava (71) won from his pocket-borough Rahli in Sagar district for the ninth time in a row. Pro-tem speaker is a temporary speaker appointed for a limited period of time to conduct the business of the House in the absence of a regular speaker. Jagdish Devda and Rajendra Shukla Take Oath As Deputy Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh (Watch Videos).

Usually, the senior-most member of the House is made the pro-tem speaker. On Wednesday, Mohan Yadav, who represents Ujjain South constituency, took oath as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.