By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Meghalaya will create history on Monday with the legislators set to elect AT Mondal (Congress), a non indigenous person, as the new Speaker for the first time, but not without opposition from HSPDP member Ardent Basaiawmoit, KHNAM member Adelbert Nongrum, the FKJGP and the KSU.
Mondal will be elected unopposed in the State Assembly when the House assembles at 10 am after the nomination of Basaiawmoit was rejected on Friday by the Assembly Secretariat since his party members could not arrive in time to the Assembly to second his candidature.
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. There were murmurs against his appointment during those days also.
While Mondal has assured that he is committed to maintain a non partisan and neutral role, he refused to comment on the stand taken by Basaiawmoit and the FKJGP against the appointment of a non tribal as the Speaker of Meghalaya.
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.
