The Bihar ruling National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan candidates on Tuesday filed nominations for Speaker’s post election for which will be held on November 25.
In a surprise move, five-time RJD MLA from the Siwan Assembly seat Awadh Bihari Chaudhury filed nomination as the mahagathbandhan candidate while senior State BJP leader and party MLA from Lakhisarai in Munger district Vijay Kumar Sinha too filed papers. After filing his nomination papers, Mr. Sinha thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for reposing faith in him. “Yet again this reflects that even an ordinary worker in the BJP can achieve great heights,” he said. Earlier, the name of several-time BJP MLA from Patna Sahib seat Nand Kishore Yadav was doing the rounds in the political circles for the post.
“The post should go to an experienced legislator and our candidate has been a five-term MLA. He knows the proceedings of the House well and has a reputation of taking everyone along,” said RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Asked about the numbers, he told media, “We’re in touch with other MLAs and are seeking their support. I’m hopeful that our nominee will win.”
Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Tarkishore Prasad said the “convention of unanimous election of Speaker should be maintained. The post is for the entire House and not for only the ruling dispensation but the Opposition too has fielded its candidate. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.” Mr. Yadav retorted, “Convention also has it that the Deputy Speaker’s post should go to the Opposition. In the previous Assembly, we kept requesting for it but the post was kept vacant.”
This is going to be the first time since 2005 when the NDA government came to power in the State the BJP has fielded its candidate for the post as it was earlier bagged by ally JD(U) . In the recently concluded poll, the BJP had won 74 seats and the alliance partner JD(U) 43 of the 243 seats.
The NDA got 125 seats and the RJD-led mahagathbandhan 110. The All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) got five seats while one seat each was won by the Lok Janshakti Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. An Independent MLA Sumit Singh won from the Chakai seat but later announced support to the NDA. “The convention of unanimous election must be maintained but when the Opposition too has fielded its candidate, we too are thinking of fielding our candidate. We’ll see what happens tomorrow,” said AIMIM MLA and State unit chief Akhtarul Iman.
After the completion of the oath-taking ceremony of the 243 MLAs, the House was adjourned till Wednesday.
Published - November 24, 2020 12:42 pm IST
