Dharamshala: Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Congress MLA from Bhattiyat assembly constituency in Chamba district today filed his nomination papers for the post of Himachal Legislative Assembly Speaker.
With the Congress having 40 MLAs and the opposition BJP 25 in the 68-member house, Pathania’s election to the post appears to be a foregone conclusion. Pathania submitted his papers to Assembly Secretary Yash Pal in the presence of senior leaders, including state Congress chief Pratibha Singh. The Speaker’s election is to be held tomorrow. A five-time MLA and a lawyer by profession, he was first elected as an MLA in 1985 on a Congress ticket, then became the youngest MLA of the 6th Legislative Assembly. He won as an independent in 1993 and 2003 and on a Congress ticket in 2007 and 2022.
While the nomination of Kuldeep Singh Pathania as pro-tem speaker was finalised, Chander Kumar, the MLA from Jawli in Kangra district, is eyeing a cabinet berth, sources said.
