New Delhi, May 31: Meira Kumar is set to become the country’s first ever woman Lok Sabha Speaker.

A formal announcement is still awaited, but there were enough indications during the day that she was the Congress candidate.

Meira met Sonia Gandhi this morning and, Congress sources said, “thanked her”. Then Lok Sabha secretary-general P.D.T. Achary called on Meira who, however, avoided the media.

Late tonight, Meira resigned as Union water resources minister, PTI said. Her resignation was immediately forwarded by the Prime Minister to Rashtrapati Bhavan, and was accepted by President Pratibha Patil. The Prime Minister will hold the portfolio for now.

Girija Vyas, former National Women’s Commission chairperson, too had been a candidate but what swung it for Meira were her Dalit origins and family background.

The Congress is keen to wrest a chunk of Mayavati’s Dalit votes, and Meira happens to be the daughter of party stalwart and Dalit icon Jagjivan Ram.

A Congress source said Manmohan Singh and Sonia spoke to the UPA allies before Meira was sounded out. “It is a consensus decision. First, the Congress collectively decided and then we approached our allies. They promptly endorsed our choice.”

The source added: “One of the first messages we wanted to send out across the country was that this government is pro-women. Women voted in huge numbers for the Congress. The gender factor was the biggest consideration in choosing Meira Kumar. Also, she is a Dalit, the daughter of Babu Jagjivan Ram, and is highly educated.”

Meira, 64, is a former Indian Foreign Service officer. She was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1985 from Bijnore in Uttar Pradesh. In 1998, she won from New Delhi’s Karol Bagh; and in 2004 and 2009, from Sasaram in Bihar, her home state.

The Prime Minister has offered the deputy Speaker’s post to the largest Opposition party, the BJP, in keeping with convention.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters her party’s parliamentary board would soon meet and pick a nominee.

“Pranabji had called up Advaniji. Taking the name of Meira Kumar (for Speaker), he said they are offering deputy speakership to us and asked for a name from our party for the post. Advani has told me this,” Swaraj said, adds PTI.

The election for Speaker is scheduled for June 3, and that for deputy Speaker later the same day. A contest is unlikely for either post.