JMM's Shashank Shekhar Bhokta new Jharkhand Assembly speaker

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislator Shashank Shekhar Bhokta was on  Thursday unanimously elected speaker of Jharkhand Assembly.

After his election, Bhokta was escorted to his chair by Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Leader of Opposition Arjun Munda. He thanked all members of the house and assured the legislators that he would run the house smoothly and impartially.

The speaker's post fell vacant after Bharatiya Janata Party's C.P. Singh resigned July 19.

Four sets of nomination papers were filed in favour of Bhokta Wednesday, and he was the only candidate.

The JMM-led Hemant Soren government, backed by the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Independents was formed on July 13 and proved its majority July 18.