Janakpurdham: The Madhes Province Assembly newly-elected Speaker Ram Chandra Mandal and Deputy Speaker Babita Kumari Raut Ishar have taken oath of office and secrecy today.
Province Chief Hari Shankar Mishra administered the oath to them at a ceremony held at the Madhes Bhawan.
Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav and Minister without Portfolio Saroj Kumar Yadav were among the officials attending the swearing-in ceremony.
Mandal and Ishar were elected to the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively, on Tuesday. Mandal secured 74 votes in his favour out of the 103 provincial lawmakers who took part in the voting in the 107-member Province Assembly.
Legislators of the ruling coalition partners – CPN (UML), the Janata Samajbadi Party, the CPN (Maoist Centre), the Janamat Party, the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, RPP and the Sanghiya Samajbadi Party Nepal – and independent legislators voted in favour of Mandal.
Similarly, Ishar, who was the candidate from the Janamat Party, bagged 72 votes in her favour and 29 against. One hundred and one legislators voted in the election to the post of Deputy Speaker.
