Thaindian News

Chandigarh, Oct 28 (IANS) Harmohinder Singh Chatha was Wednesday elected speaker of the Haryana assembly in the first one-day session of the newly-elected house that also saw 89 legislators take oath.
Chatha, who was agriculture minister in the previous Congress government, was elected unanimously. He has become speaker for the third time.

The main opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) did not put up its candidate for the speaker’s post which led to Chatha, a Sikh leader, being elected unopposed.

Earlier, all newly elected legislators took oath in the assembly. The oath was administered by pro-tem speaker Ajay Singh Yadav.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was the first one to take oath followed by the nine women legislators elected this time. They were followed by other elected members.

INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala, who contested and won from two seats (Uchana Kalan and Ellenabad), also took oath. Since he can represent only one seat in the house, 89 legislators in the 90-member house took oath Wednesday.

All 31 INLD legislators, including Chautala, wore the party’s green-coloured turbans in the assembly.

Six legislators of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), led by its president Kuldeep Bishnoi, turned up with yellow-coloured scarfs around their neck.

Hooda, who was sworn in Sunday as chief minister for the second consecutive term, will have to prove his majority on the floor of the house Wednesday.

After having emerged as the single largest party in the assembly with 40 seats in the 90-member house, the Congress has gathered support from all seven Independent candidates and the lone Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator in order to pass the floor test.

The Congress needs support of 46 legislators for a simple majority in the house.