Three-time Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Renukaji in Sirmaur district Vinay Kumar has been unanimously appointed the DeputySpeaker of Himachal Pradesh Assembly on the first day of the Winter Session at Dharamshala in Kangra district.

Three nomination sets were filed for his election. The first nomination was proposed by Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, which was supported by Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.

The second set of nominations was proposed by Agriculture Minister Chandra Kumar and supported by Health Minister Colonel Dhaniram Shandil. MLA Hansraj supported the third nomination set presented by Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur to the Assembly Speaker.

Vinay Kumar, who was elected Assembly Deputy Speaker with consensus, has won the Assembly elections for the third consecutive time. He has won the assembly elections held in 2012, 2017 and last year in December 2022.

Kumar has also been the Chief Parliamentary Secretary in the VirbhadraSingh government. It is pertinent to mention that Vinay Kumar’s father late Dr Prem Singh represented Renuka Ji assembly constituency for almost three decades. After his demise, Vinay Kumar joined active politics.

The post of Deputy Speaker of the Assembly was lying vacant for the last one year.Many Congress MLAs were vying for the post and it is believed that the Congress party took it as a strategy to solve caste equations.

Vinay Kumar’s seniority also laid the basis for his victory.Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhucongratulated Vinay Kumar on being elected Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

He said that the government has taken the decision to make Vinay Kumar the Vice President after careful consideration and discussion had also been held with the national leadership for his selection.

“The government has been in office for one year now.Many more changes will be seen in the coming times,” he said, expressing hope thatVinay Kumar will do justice to the constitutional post and will discharge his responsibilities in a better way.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur congratulatingVinay Kumar on behalf of the opposition expressed faith that Vinay Kumar will work with better coordination and will work by taking the opposition into confidence.

He said that even though this post has been filled late by a year, Vinay Kumar’s appointment to this post will provide excellent support to the Speaker in the running of the House.

Vinay Kumar expressed gratitude to the House on becoming the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. He said that the government has given a new identity to Shri Renuka ji assembly constituency that is the area of former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, from where his father Dr Prem Singh was a member of the Assembly six times. He said that he will discharge his duties with full honesty and dedication.