Imphal, December 08: MLA Dr Maniruddin Sheikh will be sworn as the new Speaker of the 8th Manipur Legislative Assembly tomorrow at 10 am.

Protem Speaker Dr M Nara Singh will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new Speaker.

Dr Sheikh was elected as the consensus candidate as no other MLAs had submitted the nomination papers to contest for the post of the Speaker.

The post of the Speaker has been lying vacant after TN Haokip tendered his resignation from the post yesterday afternoon.

The post of the Deputy Speaker is also yet to be filled up.

Following the notification issued by the Assembly Secretariat late evening yesterday, Dr Maniruddin Sheikh submitted his nomination paper for the post of the Speaker to the Assembly Secretary today.

Till late in the afternoon today, no other MLAs, including those from the Opposition DPA, neither took nor submitted the nomination papers for the post of the Speaker, paving way for appointment of Dr Maniruddin as the new Speaker.

Before the submission of the nomination paper of Dr Maniruddin Sheikh as the consensus candidate of the Congress Legislature party (CLP), Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh presided a meeting of the CLP at his conference hall to discuss and to elect Dr Maniruddin as the consensus candidate.

Protem Speaker Dr M Nara Singh will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Dr Sheikh during a function to be held at the Assembly Hall tomorrow at 10 am before the start of the Winter session of the Assembly which is beginning tomorrow.

After the swearing in ceremony, the newly appointed Speaker will preside over the Assembly session.

Dr Sheikh was elected to the 8th Manipur Legislative Assembly on a Congress ticket from Lilong Assembly Constituency.

Born in February 1943 at Lilong Yangbi Leikai, Dr Sheikh had served at the JN Hospital for more than 30 years in the capacity of a Medical Officer and Assistant Director.

He had also served as a Child Specialist before entering active politics.

Speaking to mediapersons after submitting his nomination paper today, Dr Sheikh said that he had submitted his nomination paper for the post of the Speaker in accordance with the decision of the Congress Legislature Party.

�There is no question of any regret or complaint, and I will accept the decision of the Congress Legislature Party, as the directive of the party is above all, � he said.

CLP members, who accompanied Dr Sheikh at the time of submitting the nomination paper, expressed hope that the re-shuffling of the Ministry might be carried out by the Chief Minister after the ongoing Parliament sitting.

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