Shillong, March 11: Former Meghalaya power minister Abu Taher Mondal became the 15th Speaker of the ninth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Monday.
A Congress legislator from Phulbari, Mondal was elected as the speaker by the august members of the house.
Indeed the election of AT Mondal as a speaker of the Assembly has created history in itself as for the first time in the history of the state of Meghalaya that a non tribal candidate would be elected as a speaker of the assembly.
In fact, Mondal had created history in 1998 after he was appointed as the first non indigenous Minister of the State when late BB Lyngdoh was the Chief Minister.
First elected in 1998, Mondal lost the 2003 polls but came back in 2008 and in this year’s polls. He had also previously held the posts of minister of state, cabinet minister, and deputy chief whip besides being chairman and member of various Assembly committees.
It may be mentioned here that Mondal’s name was first suggested by Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma as the latter realized that it would be difficult to accommodate Mondal in the new ministry since there are many aspirants for Cabinet berths from Garo Hills including Deborah Marak, Zenith Sangma and Clement Marak.
Mondal, who is close to the Chief Minister, has decided to abide by the suggestion of the Chief Minister and the Congress party which is backing him. As a successor of Charles Pyngrope, who was defected in the election, Mondal has many a task ahead, the major one being the construction of the new Assembly building which has been pending for the last 12 years.
Meanwhile, chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma expressed his happiness on the election of Mondal as the speaker.(SP News)
