Dev Raj Ghimire, a Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) politician, was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives with 167 votes, according to The Kathmandu Post, news agency ANI reported.


The motion to elect the CPN-UML legislator gained 167 votes, according to The Kathmandu Post.


At least 100 people voted against him, while one legislator abstained. A victory in the 275-member Lower House required only 138 votes.






"I declare the proposal to elect Ghimire as Speaker has been endorsed through a majority," the oldest parliamentarian Pashupati Shumsher Rana, who chaired the meeting as a Speaker, was quoted by ANI in its report.


According to The Kathmandu Post, Ghimire's nomination was suggested by UML vice-chair Subas Nembang and seconded by CPN (Maoist Centre) MP Hitraj Pandey, Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden.


Ghimire, who was elected from Jhapa-2, is a member of the UML's standing committee and the party in charge of Province 1.


In 1999, he was elected to the National Assembly. Ishwari Neupane of the Nepali Congress has also registered her nomination for the position.


Bishwa Prakash Sharma of the Congress recommended Neupane's candidature, which was supported by Prakash Jwala of the CPN (Unified Socialist).


This occurs as the two candidates are in the running.


The Congress and the Unified Socialist Party, who supported Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during a floor test in Parliament on January 10, had already resolved to field their own candidate for Speaker against the ruling alliance's candidature.


President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Maoist Centre head Pushpa Kamal Dahal as prime minister on December 25 after he expressed support for 169 MPs, including those from the JSP.


The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives must be elected within 15 days after the House's first meeting, according to the constitution. On January 9, the lower house met for the first time since being elected in the November 20 elections.


According to Article 91 (2) of the Constitution, either the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker must be a woman, and the two positions must be held by people from different political parties. The secretariat will announce the timetable for the election of the Deputy Speaker, which is expected to take place on Saturday, on Thursday.


Meanwhile, the election for Deputy Speaker of the House is scheduled on January 21.


(With ANI Inputs)