Jharkhand Speaker to be elected on Oct 20th

Ranchi, Oct 18: The much-hyped Speaker's election in Jharkhand will be held on October 20, ending month long speculation after Mr Inder Singh Namdhari resigned from the post on September 14 this year.

In all probability, Congress legislator from Pakur Alamgir Alam will be the next Speaker of the 82-member House.

In Jharkhand, never before has the fight for the Speaker's chair picked up as it was seen in the past month with mainly the Congress and independent MLA Stephen Marandi virtually engaged in a fight to get the post.

Mr Marandi since the inception of the UPA-backed Madhu Koda government on September 18 had been maintaining that he would only accept the Speaker's post.

However, after a lot of persuasion by the top brass of UPA leadership Mr Marandi joined the government and he was made the Deputy Chief Minister last week.

Mr Koda on October 16 said he would soon induct a 12th minister in the cabinet adding election of the Speaker would also be held without much delay. At present Congress state president Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu is the officiating Speaker.

The post of Deputy Speaker has also been remaining vacant for a long time.

UNI