BY THE CHIEF EDITOR
Rajagriha, 26 July 2021: By election to the National List constituency of the Parliament of Vishwamitra from the state of Kamrupa was necessitated following the resignation of sitting MP Lord Christopher Miller, Count of Romsdal on 16 July after his appointment as the President of the Privy Council, a position which he held on an acting basis from 25 May 2021. Miller was appointed to the parliament during the March 2021 general election on a ticket sponsored by the Royalist Party of Vishwamitra, defeating former Union Minister Sampriti Paul of the National People's Congress.
The ruling National People's Congress made a thumping victory in the by-election with its candidate and Union Minister of Finance Ned Vodă winning 71.4% of the total votes with his opponent and Royalist Party President Thomas Bainbridge winning only 28.6% of the votes.
With the party's victory in the by-election, it was the first election contested by the presidency of Farhaz Hazarika who was named as the Party President earlier this month. The party's total tally in the parliament increased from 13 to 14, with the coalition government being supported by two other independent members - Minister of State for Defence Rory McPhail and former Minister Cristian Dobrev. The Royalist Party which won five seats during the general election currently has only three seats, with an outside support from one independent member.
Ned Vodă, who was appointed as the Minister of Finance, Law and Justice on 18 June 2021 in order to replace Cristian Dobrev was not an elected member of the parliament, and the Interim Constitution of 2020 requires any member of the union council of ministers to be a member of the parliament, and if not a member, the appointed Minister needs to be a member of the parliament within six months of appointment to such position, and failing to do such would require them to step down from the council of ministers. With his election to the parliament, he would be able to continue his position in the union cabinet and the council of ministers.
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