Tanka Bahadur Rai new Dy Speaker of Assam Assembly

GUWAHATI, April 3 ? Congress nominee Sri Tanka Bahadur Rai has been elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly today following the withdrawal of the candidature of the opposition sponsored candidate Sri Abdul Jabbar. As soon as the Speaker Prithvi Majhi announced that six nomination papers-four on behalf of Sri Rai and two for Sri Jabbar, were filed for the election to the post of Deputy Speaker, the leader of the AGP legislative party, Sri Brindaban Goswami announced their decision to withdraw the candidature of Sri Jabbar. However, he expressed the view that for healthy parliamentary democracy, the post of Deputy Speaker should have gone to the Opposition. He pointed out that even in the Lok Sabha, the post of Deputy Speaker is held by a member of the Opposition.

Smt Pramila Rani Brahma (BDLP) said that in several states of the country, the position of the Deputy Speaker is held by an Opposition nominee. ?However, we do not want any controversy regarding the post of Deputy Speaker and that is why we decided to withdraw the candidature of the Opposition candidate,? she added. Sri Bimalongshu Roy (BJP) said that in the Lok Sabha Congress member PM Sayeed is holding the post of Deputy Speaker and after the demise of the Speaker, he chaired the joint session of the Parliament.

After the withdrawal of the candidature of Sri Jabbar, the Speaker declared Sri Rai elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker and he was led to the chair of the Deputy Speaker by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the leaders of other political parties and groups. Later the Speaker, the Chief Minister and the leaders of political parties and groups congratulated Sri Rai and assured full cooperation to him. Sri Rai was born in Sonitpur district in 1950 and was elected to the State Assembly from Borsola constituency.