Spl session to elect Speaker and for CM to prove majority

The biggest problem before the Shinde faction is that deputy speaker Zirwal has already recognised Sunil Prabhu as the chief whip of the Shiv Sena

Mumbai: A two-day special session of the Maharashtra Assembly has been convened on July 3 to elect a new speaker and for chief minister Eknath Shinde to prove his government’s majority on the floor of the house.

Getting their Speaker is crucial for the BJP-Shinde alliance ahead of the trust vote to ensure that the Shinde faction is recognised as the real Shiv Sena in the House else the whip of the Thackeray faction will disqualify the breakaway MLAs. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO)

Ahead of the session the BJP fielded its Colaba MLA Rahul Narvekar for the election of the Speaker while the opposition has not announced any candidate so far. The speaker’s election is necessitated as the speaker’s post is vacant and the Eknath Shinde faction has expressed no confidence in the deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal who is from the NCP. The matter is now in the Supreme Court.

Getting their Speaker is crucial for the BJP-Shinde alliance ahead of the trust vote to ensure that the Shinde faction is recognised as the real Shiv Sena in the House else the whip of the Thackeray faction will disqualify the breakaway MLAs.

On Friday, a vacation bench of justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala refused to grant interim relief to the Uddhav Thackeray camp which had petitioned the Supreme Court to stop Eknath Shinde from functioning as CM as the matter of the deputy speaker was still before the court.

“Speaker’s election will be held through voice vote. Once the new Speaker is elected, the House will decide when the floor test will be conducted (July 3 or 4),” said principal secretary, state legislature, Rajendra Bhagwat. The last date for filing nominations for Speaker’s post is until 12 pm on Saturday, July 2.

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat questioned the Governor’s decision to go ahead with the Speaker election saying that when the MVA government had wanted to hold Speaker’s election after the poste fell vacant on account of the resignation of Nana Patole who took over state Congress chief, he refused to act saying the case was sub-judice. “I want to know on what basis has he allowed the Speaker’s election now,” said Thorat.

The floor test is likely to be held on Sunday and will decide the fate of the Shinde-Fadnavis government, and also what happens to the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in the Assembly.

Chief minister Shinde who held a meeting with rebel MLAs in Goa told reporters that his government has the support of 170 MLAs. “The Governor has called a special session and we will succeed on the floor of the House,” he claimed.