Assembly Speaker Election on Monday

Shillong, March 10:  The election to the post of Assembly Speaker of Meghalaya will be held on March 12. Both the ruling and the Opposition parties have put up their respective candidates.

The ruling tiol People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government submitted the me of former Chief Minister and United Democratic Party chief Dr Donkupar Roy as its candidate for the election to the post.

 The Congress with 20 legislators nomited Winnerson D Sangma as their candidate for the Speaker’s post.

Dr Roy is the longest- serving legislator, while the Opposition Congress candidate Winnerson is a second-time legislator from Salmanpara. The ruling coalition has 36 members, which include the NPP (19), UDP (6), PDF (4), HSPDP (2), BJP (2), NCP (1) and two Independents — Samuel M. Sangma and Lambor Malngiang.

The Congress won 21 seats, but physically it has only 20 members in the House since the former Chief Minister got elected from two seats – Ampati and Songsak. Lone Khun Hynñiewtrep tiol Awakening Movement MLA Adelbert Nongrum and another Independent SK Sun are yet to declare their support to any of the two candidates. With 36 members supporting the MDA in the House of 59, the coalition will not have any difficulty in winning confidence of the House.