As pro-tem Speaker, Ram would administer oath to new elected MLAs on the opening day of the Winter session of Himachal Assembly at Dharamsala on January 8 and also conduct the elections for the Speaker's office.
Ram, the senior-most member of Vidhan Sabha, was elected for the first time from Karsog (SC) seat in Mandi district in 1967. Later, he joined Congress and was re-elected in 1972 on a Congress ticket. He was inducted as minister of state in the ministry headed by Y S Parmar.
He lost the elections in 1977 but was re-elected as an Independent member in 1982. He was then included as a state minister in Ram Lal Ministry.
Ram was elected to Vidhan Sabha again in 1998 on Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) ticket but later joined the BJP. He had served as a Cabinet minister in the P K Dhumal-led government.
He had contested the Assembly elections on a Congress ticket this time and was again elected for the fifth time.
Meanwhile, the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has been convened at Dharamsala on January 7 on the eve of first session of the assembly commencing on January 8.
