Senior Congress leader and five-time MLA from Bhattiyat Kuldeep Singh Pathania (65) is all set to be the next Speaker of the Himachal Assembly.
Pathania submitted his nomination papers to Vidhan Sabha secretary Yash Pal in the presence of senior leaders including HPCC president Pratibha Singh.
He was elected to the Assembly in 1985, 1993, 2003, 2007 and 2022. He had contested as an Independent in 1993 and 2003.
If elected, which is a certainty, he would be the 18th speaker of Himachal Pradesh assembly and third person from Chamba district to serve at the post after Desh Raj Mahajan and Tulsi Ram.
He was also a member of various apex government committees and held the post of state finance commission chairperson.
During the Virbhadra Singh government from 2012-2017, Pathania was the chairperson of the state pollution control board.
