CPN-UML provincial assembly member Ram Chandra Mandal has been elected the Speaker of Madhesh Province assembly.

Mandal, a candidate from the ruling coalition, was supported by eight parties including provincial assembly members of the Mahanta Thakur-led Loktantrik Samajbadi Party.

Mandal secured 74 votes to claim the post while his opponent Jangi Lal Rae of the Nepali Congress received 29 votes.

Mandal was elected a provincial assembly member for the second time from Dhanusha 1 (B) in the November 20 elections.

In today’s election, 103 out of 107 province assembly members participated in the voting process.

Bharat Prasad Shah, the provincial assembly leader of the CPN (Maoist Centre), had proposed Mandal’s nomination. UML provincial assembly leader Saroj Kumar Yadav, Janamat Party provincial assembly leader Mahesh Yadav and Janata Samajbadi Party provincial assembly member Ram Ashish Yadav had seconded and supported the proposal.

Similarly, Congress provincial assembly member Kumar Kant Jha had proposed Rae’s nomination, which was seconded by Congress provincial assembly member Jiwachi Kumari Yadav.