HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi Sworn In as Bihar Assembly Pro Tem Speaker

Manjhi was also former CM of Bihar.

Patna: HAM (S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi addresses a press conference in Patna on June 20, 2019.

(Photo: IANS)

Chief of the Hindustan Awaam Morcha (HAM) and former Bihar Chief Minister, Jitan Ram Manjhi, was sworn in as pro tem speaker of the Bihar Assembly, said a communication from Governor Fagu Chauhan, on Thursday, 19 November.

Manjhi has been appointed for two days, 23-24 November, till a new speaker is elected for the Assembly.

Manjhi won the 2020 Bihar elections from the Imamganj constituency and has been associated with all the mainstream parties of the state till he floated the HAM in 2015.

He has been a part of the Bihar Assembly since 1980 and was Chief Minister of Bihar from 20 May 2014 to 20 February 2015.

A pro tem speaker is an interim speaker who administers oath of office to elected MLAs before the permanent speaker of the house is elected, and is usually the senior-most member of the house.

Manjhi will administer oath to all 243 elected MLAs of the Assembly over the next two days. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will be held in the Central Hall with seating arrangements following social distancing norms for the members, reported The Hindustan Times.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)