Senior National People's Party (NPP) MLA Timothy D Shira was today elected the deputy speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly.
Shira, 68, defeated Opposition candidate David Nongrum by 20 votes.
He was elected from Resubelpara constituency in North Garo Hills district in the recently held Assembly elections.
Polling was held for 59 seats of the 60-member Meghalaya assembly on February 27. In Williamnagar constituency, voting was countermanded following the killing of NCP candidate Jonathane N Sangma in an IED blast on February 18.
Former chief minister Mukul Sangma, who had contested from Ampati and Tura constituencies, had to give up one seat.
The Election Commission is yet to announce the dates of voting in the two remaining constituencies.
The current Assembly has 58 members, of which 57 took part in the voting process today.
After the votes were counted, Speaker Donkupar Roy said, "I hereby declare that Shira has been elected as the deputy speaker of the tenth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly."
Shira secured 36 votes while his rival Nongrum secured 20 votes. One vote was declared invalid, he said.
The ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance has 36 members in the House -19 of the NPP, six of the United Democratic Party, two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party and the BJP, one of the NCP, four of the Peoples Democratic Front and two Independents. '
The opposition Congress has 20 members.
Lone Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) MLA Adelbert Nongrum and Independent MLA S K Sunn are neither supporting the government nor the Opposition.
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