Dr Charandas Mahant on Friday was elected as the Speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly.
He was elected unopposed as the Opposition parties Bharatiya Janata Party as well as Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) Jogi (J) and its alliance Bahujan Samaj Party extended support to him.
Mahant took the oath of office and secrecy in Chhattisgarhi language.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Legislative Affairs Minister Ravindra Chaubey and Urban Administration Minister Dr Shiv Kumar Daharia had proposed the name of Mahant to which Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, School Education Minister Dr Premsai Singh Tekam and Excise and Industries Minister Kawasi Lakhma were the supporters respectively.
JCC (J) leader and former Deputy Speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Dharamjeet Singh proposed Mahant’s name from his party to which senior MLA of party Renu Ajit Jogi was the supporter.
Former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh was the proposer from BJP and his proposal was supported by MLA Narayan Chandel.
Born on December 13, 1954 at Saragaon in Chhattisgarh, Mahant did his higher education from Barkatullah University Bhopal.
In his long political career, Mahant has built a reputation of being a trustworthy, credible and responsible leader who works and speaks for all the people of Chhattisgarh and, indeed, all of India. His initiatives on industrial development and environmental stewardship were widely reported and appreciated.
With a PhD in linguistics and degree in law, Dr Mahant has the intellectual credentials to go with his deep understanding of Chhattisgarh’s challenges and tremendous industrial and environmental potential. His interactions with global leaders include his address at the 65th meeting of the UN General Assembly in October 2010.