Dhangadhi: CPN (Maoist Centre) MP Bhim Bahadur Bhandari has been elected as Speaker of Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly. He garnered the majority of votes (29) on Tuesday’s voting.
Bhandari, a member of parliament from the Maoist Centre, who was a candidate from the ruling coalition, was elected in the third round of voting in the Sudurpaschim Province, where no candidate could win a majority in the election held twice in a row. He is an elected Member of Parliament from Bajhang State Assembly Constituency No. (2).
Twenty seven votes were required to achieve a majority in the 53-member provincial assembly. He was able to garner votes from Maoist Centre (11 votes), CPN UML (10), Nagarik Unmukti Party (7) and an MP from RPP. His rival Nepali Congress candidate Man Bahadur Rawal got 20 votes. Four MPs were absent in today’s voting.
On the first day, Bhandari could not be elected without getting one vote in the voting. Laxman Kishore Choudhary of Nagarik Unmukti Party and CPN UML MP Chakra Malla were absent from the voting and one vote was invalid.
In the Sudurpaschim Province, CPN UML has the Chief Minister. It is said that the Deputy Speaker will be given to Nagarik Unmukti Party.
On Monday, Ranjita Shrestha, Chairman of Nagarik Unmukti, instructed her party’s MPs to vote for the coalition candidate.
