Following the election of new MLAs, the seating arrangement in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly is set to change. BJP ticket winners Sudhir Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, who won in the recent by-elections, will now join the opposition. Additionally, three new faces will be part of the assembly this time. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place on June 11 or 12.
The newly elected members include Vivek from Kutlehar (Congress), Anuradha Rana from Lahaul-Spiti, and Ranjit Rana from Sujanpur (both Congress). This arrangement will be visible during the upcoming monsoon session. The assembly will now have two female MLAs. Previously, Reena Kashyap from Pachhad was the only female MLA. During the assembly sessions, any issues she raised were taken seriously and resolved promptly.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had mentioned in the house that there was only one female member in the assembly and her demands were taken seriously. Now, the Congress party’s Anuradha Rana from Lahaul-Spiti, who won the by-election, joins the assembly, ensuring representation from both the ruling party and the opposition.
During the monsoon session, the seating plan for the MLAs will be altered. The Assembly Secretariat will allocate residences for the new members after the swearing-in ceremony, which the Secretariat administration will arrange.
Double Accommodation for Twice-Elected Members
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly has announced that members elected twice will now be eligible for two accommodation sets. This decision was made by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, who issued a notification amending Rule 3 (3) of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Members (MLA Hostel and Rest House Accommodation Allocation) Rules, 2002. Typically, each member is allocated one set, but if accommodations are available, a second set may also be allotted.
Preparations for Swearing-In Ceremony
The Himachal Assembly Secretariat is busy preparing for the swearing-in ceremony of the new MLAs. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 11 or 12, 2024.
