Manipur: BJP Legislator V Hangkhalian Sworn-In As Pro-Tem Speaker Of Assembly

Manipur: BJP Legislator(विधायक) V Hangkhalian Sworn-In As Pro-Tem Speaker Of Assembly

IMPHAL:  Even as Yogi Adityanath and 43 members of his cabinet took charge in Lucknow, in Manipur's capital Imphal, 60 elected members of the state assembly were sworn in on Sunday. The swearing-in took place a day before the crucial trust (महत्वपूर्ण विश्वास) vote. Earlier, Governor Najma Heptullah appointed BJP legislator V Hangkhalian as Pro-Tem Speaker and administered the oath in a simple function at the Raj Bhavan. Mr Hangkhalian had won the Assembly elections from Churachandpur seat. After his swearing in as Pro-Tem Speaker, Mr Hangkhalian administered the oath to the other newly elected legislators in the Manipur Assembly premises(परिसर).

Seventeen of the BJP's 21 legislators are camping (डेरा डालना) at a hotel in Assam's Guwahati, the 27 Congress legislators are in the house of one of its legislators in Imphal.

The strength of the Congress in the house went down to 27 from its original 28. A Congress legislator, T Shyamkumar, had joined the cabinet. The BJP won 21 seats in two-phase Manipur Assembly elections held earlier this month.

On Wednesday, Biren Singh took oath as Manipur's Chief Minister along with eight members of his cabinet. The former footballer replaced Congress' Ibobi Singh, Manipur's longest serving Chief Minister , who had held on to his seat for the last 15 years. Fifty-six-year-old Singh is a former Congress member who joined the BJP in October last year. Y Joykumar Singh of the National People's Party (NPP) is the Deputy Chief Minister.