Patna: As Bihar prepares for the formation of the 18th Legislative Assembly, discussions have started about who will be appointed as the Pro-tem Speaker. The panel for this post is being finalised, and only MLAs who have served more than eight terms are being considered. The role of the Pro-tem Speaker is significant because they administer the oath to newly elected MLAs and oversee the election of the permanent Speaker of the House.
JDU MLA Harinarayan Singh from Harnaut is currently being seen as the strongest candidate. He has the longest legislative career among all MLAs, having been elected 10 times — six times from Chandi and four times from Harnaut. At 84 years old, he is also the oldest MLA in the Assembly, giving him a natural advantage in the selection process.
Other senior leaders are also being discussed. Bijendra Prasad Yadav of the JDU and Prem Kumar of the BJP have each been elected nine times and may be included in the panel. BJP MLA Raghavendra Pratap Singh, who has served eight terms, is another possible addition. The cabinet will take a final decision on the name shortly after the new government is sworn in.
Nitish Kumar will take oath as Chief Minister for the 10th time on November 20. Soon after the swearing-in, a cabinet meeting will be held to approve the date for the first meeting of the new Assembly and the name of the Pro-tem Speaker. Once the cabinet finalises the proposal, it will be sent to the Raj Bhavan for approval. With the term of the 17th Assembly expiring on November 19, preparations are underway to ensure a smooth transition to the 18th Assembly.
