Senior BJP leader and an eight-term legislator in Uttar Pradesh assembly, Satish Mahana, has been elected unopposed as the Speaker of the 18th legislative assembly in the state. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Mahana’s election has further strengthened the democratic system. Acting Speaker Ramapati Shastri announced the unopposed election of Mahana, with his being the only nomination for the post.
CM Adityanath proposed Mahana’s nomination to the post which was seconded by senior minister Suresh Khanna. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav had also proposed Mahana’s name and his party’s Awadhesh Prasad had supported it.
“Hearty congratulations to Shri Satish Mahana ji on the selection as the Honorable Speaker of the 18th Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh. Your selection today further strengthens and reinforces India’s democratic tradition,” said Yogi Adityanath.
Born on October 14, 1960, Mahana has been elected for the eighth time from the Maharajpur Assembly seat of Kanpur district. He was elected a member of the legislative assembly for the first time in 1991 and has been a member of the house since then. During his previous tenures when he was a part of the government, Mahana served in various capacities. Apart from being the Minister of State for Urban Development in the Mayawati-led government of the BSP-BJP alliance, he has also served as a minister in the governments led by Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath Singh. He was the industrial development minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led government in the previous assembly.
In the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022, the BJP had won 255 seats and its allies Apna Dal secured 12 and the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD) six seats. The main opposition SP won 111 seats, and its allies Rashtriya Lok Dal eight and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party got six seats.