Jharkhand assembly speaker resigns

A day after Jharkhand Multi Morcha (JMM)-led Hemant Soren government won the trust vote, assembly Speaker C.P. Singh Friday resigned from his post.

Singh handed over his resignation to assembly secretary.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, he had faced severe criticism from the JMM when he did not resign after formation of a new government July 13.

Singh had become speaker of the assembly in 2010 when a JMM government led by Shibu Soren was formed with support of BJP and others. Singh remained speaker around 43 months.

When the Hemant Soren government was formed, Singh had announced he would resign at the right time.

After Hemant Soren won the trust motion Thursday, he, in a goodwill gesture, went to the speaker's official rand expressed thanks to the impartial role he played during the proceedings.

The monsoon session will begin on July 25, and a new speaker would be elected.

Talking to reporters after submitting his resignation, Singh said: "I am happy that that I played impartial role as speaker."

He expressed unhappiness that he could not succeed in getting the assembly's own building constructed. The assembly is running in a building rented from the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC).