Shillong, March 13: Assembly Speaker Thomas Sangma informed on Monday that the election of the Deputy Speaker will be held on March 20.
“We are giving notification from tomorrow so that intending candidates can file their nominations and we will have the election on the first day of the budget session,” he said.
To a question whether the Deputy Speaker will be from the Opposition, Sangma said, “It is up to them . If they file the nomination everyone is welcome. But if they don’t file, of course like me, the deputy speaker will also be elected unopposed”.
TMC Cong seek separate identity
The Speaker said he had received applications from the Congress and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) requesting for his recognition while the Voice of the People Party has not submitted any kind of indication to be part of the opposition bench.
“The office is examining the matter,” he said.
The Congress and AITC are seeking recognition as separate entities and not as a Forum, he added.
Sources said the Speaker will decide on the Leader of Opposition whether the choice should be from the TMC or the Congress which has five each MLAs.
Speaker assesses new Assembly work status
The Speaker, who assessed the progress of work of the new Assembly said he wanted the building to be completed within his tenure.
He said the only deadline given was the the implementing agencies to remove the debris by April 15.
He has also asked the Public Works Department (Building) to speed up getting the approval of the new design for the dome of the new Assembly building.
“I have already instructed and requested the PWD (Building) to expedite approval of the new design without which the work cannot start,” Sangma said.
The Speaker said, “The middle portion which is the main chamber –where the dome had collapsed – that part is still not started, otherwise the left wing and the right wing of the new Assembly building are almost completed.”
