By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: With the rejection of the nomination paper of HSPDP member Ardent M Basaiawmoit on Friday, the Congress nominee, AT Mondal, is set to be elected as the next Speaker on Monday.
Mondal filed two sets of nomination papers, supported by proposers, Ronnie V Lyngdoh and Martin M Danggo and seconded by Limison Sangma and P Syiem at the Assembly Secretariat in Khyndailad.
An Assembly Secretariat official said that while there was one proposer, Saleng Sangma (Independent) for Basaiawmoit, the candidate was not seconded by any one and hence his nomination was not found to be valid.
Surprisingly, no HSPDP legislator accompanied Basaiawmoit.
When contacted, the HSPDP president HS Lyngdoh said that the party did not endorse the candidature of Basaiawmoit.
“The party is not aware of the move as he went by himself,” Lyngdoh said.
According to Lyngdoh, a committee of the party was supposed to meet and discuss the matter, but Ardent went to the Assembly alone, though he had informed the party chief later.
Tribal Speaker plea
Later, speaking to reporters at the Assembly Secretariat premises, Basaiawmoit said that his intention to be in the fray was to convey a message that being a tribal state, Meghalaya should have a tribal Speaker.
“I want to convey to the Congress to respect the sentiments of the people of the State that we need a tribal Speaker,” Basaiawmoit asserted.