Congress MLA Nana Patole becomes new Maharashtra Assembly Speaker
Mumbai/IBNS: Congress MLA Nana Patole has been elected as the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee pulled out.
Although it is a tradition in Maharashtra Assembly that the Speaker is elected unopposed but the BJP had named Kisan Kathore as its nominee for the post.
The election was scheduled to be held on Sunday.
However, the BJP later pulled out from the election race.
On Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government won the floor test comfortably minutes after the 105 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs walked out of the assembly protesting against the alleged flouting of rules by the ruling party on several occasions. The Aghadi comprising the MLAs from Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress had a smooth sail inside the assembly as it has won the floor test by 169-0.
Among the 169, 56, 54 and 44 were the MLAs from Sena, NCP and Congress and eight from the Independents who extended support to the Aghadi.
The BJP MLAs staged the walkout after former CM Devendra Fadnavis said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav and his colleagues didn't take oath correctly at the Shivaji Park here on Thursday.
