BJP's Bagra elected as Arunachal deputy speaker

Tumke Bagra on Tuesday became the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator to be elected deputy speaker of the Arunachal Pradesh assembly.

Speaker Wangki Lowang announced Bagre as the new deputy speaker since there were no other contenders for the post.

Bagra, who was elected as member of the assembly from Aalo West constituency in West Siang district, had served as chief engineer of the public health engineering department and also as secretary, power before joining politics.

Election for the post was necessitated after incumbent T. Norbu Thondok resigned on March 4 ahead of his induction as a cabinet minister in the Kalikho Pul-led People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) government.

There were 40 lawmakers present in the 60-member assembly, whose strength now stands at 58 following the expulsion of two Congress legislators in the recent political crisis, while ousted chief minister Nabam Tuki and his 16 loyalists Congress members did not attend.

Pul, who led a revolt against Tuki, was sworn in as the eighth chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on February 19 after the central government recommended that president's rule be lifted from the state.