Pathania elected 16th Speaker of Himachal Assembly

DHARAMSALA: Senior Congress leader and five-time MLA, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, has been unanimously elected as Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly by voice vote on Thursday.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur escorted Pathania to the Speaker's chair following his election.

The election of Pathania, the member from Bhatiyyat in Chamba district, was a foregone conclusion as he was the only candidate in the fray.

A five-term legislator and an advocate by profession, he was elected an MLA for the first time on the Congress ticket in 1985.

The Congress leader was elected to Vidhan Sabha in 1985, 1993, 2003, 2007 and 2022. He was elected as an Independent in 1993 and 2003.