The election for speaker of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly will be held on March 24, an official source said March 22.
An order of the Manipur governor, La Ganesan passed on March 22, fixed March 24 at 9 am as the date and time for holding election to the office of the speaker of the assembly.
The governor issued the order in exercise of the powers conferred by the sub-rule (1) of rule 10 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Manipur assembly.
Currently, BJP MLA S Rajen Singh, who was appointed as the pro-tem speaker by the governor, is looking after the charge of the speaker. The pro-tem speaker administered the oath to the newly elected members of the state assembly on March 14.
The election of speaker was delayed till date even as the new Manipur assembly was constituted a week ago, on March 14, the day on which the pro-tem speaker administered oaths to the new members. The delay in the formation of the new government might be the main reason behind the weeklong withholding of the election of the speaker.
Even though the results of the elections to the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly were declared on March 10 with BJP securing absolute majority, the government was formed only on March 21 with N Biren Singh taking oath as chief minister of the state for the second consecutive term.
Five MLAs – four from BJP and one from NPF – took oath as cabinet ministers on the same day.
