Jharkhand assembly session: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) JMM MLA Rabindra Nath Mahato was elected as the Speaker of the Jharkhand assembly for the second consecutive term on Tuesday (December 10). He was elected unopposed as the opposition decided not to put up a candidate.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren proposed his name for the post during the special session of the assembly. The proposal was seconded by JMM MLA Mathura Prasad Mahato during the second day of the assembly session.
The JMM MLA was also the Speaker during the previous term of the Jharkhand assembly.
CM Soren congratulates Rabindra Nath Mahato
The Chief Minister congratulated Mahato on behalf of the ruling alliance for being elected as the Speaker of the assembly. "We had successfully completed the tenure of the fifth Jharkhand assembly under your leadership. You played an important role in strengthening the dignity of the House," Soren said in a congratulatory message.
He added, "We hope and have full faith that like the previous sessions, we will together gather in this temple of democracy for the overall development of this state."
Soren further requested the opposition leaders to respect the mandate of the people and play a constructive role in the development of the state.
Mahato retained the Nala assembly seat on a JMM ticket after he defeated BJP leader Madhav Chandra Mahato by a margin of 10,483 votes in the recently held assembly elections.
Babulal Marandi urges Speaker to listen to opposition
Senior BJP leader and Dhanwar MLA Babulal Marandi also congratulated Mahato for being elected as the Speaker and urged the Speaker to listen to the opposition as they bring the real issues and information to the House.
"The issues raised by the opposition members should be heard seriously. MLAs often raise burning issues in the House but they do not get much importance thereafter," he said.
The newly elected Speaker thanked the voters who participated in the recently held elections. He said that people's expectations and aspirations have increased, which need collective efforts to fulfil. "I urge members to forget bitterness that arose out of the electoral competition. All MLAs should play a constructive role in building a new Jharkhand and take the state ahead," he said.
Mahato said that the sixth assembly should have "a new vision and resolution with constructive and new ideas". Later, he adjourned the House till 11 am on Wednesday.
The JMM-led alliance on November 23 stormed to power in Jharkhand for the second time in a row, securing 56 seats in the 81-member assembly, while the BJP-headed NDA managed 24.
(With PTI inputs)
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