Nine-term BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar takes oath as pro-tem speaker

BJP leader Kalidas Kolambkar, 71, sworn in as pro-tem speaker for Maharashtra's Assembly session from Dec 7-9, overseeing swearing-in of 288 MLAs.

Mumbai: Senior BJP leader and nine-term MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, 71, was sworn in as the pro-tem speaker for Maharashtra’s three-day special Assembly session scheduled from December 7 to 9. The session will see the swearing-in of 288 newly elected MLAs and the election of a new Speaker.

BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, pro-tem speaker, will administer oath to the 288 newly-elected lawmakers at a special session of Maharashtra legislative assembly today.

Kolambkar, who represents the Wadala constituency, took his oath at Raj Bhavan in Malabar Hill. The ceremony was administered by Governor C P Radhakrishnan and attended by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The pro-tem speaker, a temporary role designated to oversee Assembly proceedings until a permanent Speaker is elected, will conduct the swearing-in of MLAs on December 7 and oversee the Speaker’s election. The session will also include the Governor’s address to the joint houses of the state legislature on its final day.

Speaking after his swearing-in, Kolambkar said, “It is an honour to be appointed as the pro-tem speaker as the senior-most member of the lower house. I have had the privilege of serving my constituency for nine terms and will carry out this responsibility with utmost dedication.”

This session marks the beginning of Maharashtra’s 15th Assembly, formed in the last week of November following the completion of Assembly polls. Governor Radhakrishnan’s address to both houses will set the legislative agenda for the new term.