'Expect our candidate to get 165-170 votes': BJP leader on Maha speaker polls

After days of massive political drama, the Maharashtra assembly is set to elect the Assembly speaker on Sunday.

Ahead of the election for the post of Assembly Speaker, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhir Mungantiwar on Sunday said that the party is expecting its candidate Rahul Narwekar to get around 165 to 170 votes. Speaking to the media, the BJP leader also appealed all members to vote “as per their conscience”.

BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar. (HT File)

“Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology has given a whip and so has the Uddhav Thackeray faction. We have an alliance with Balasaheb's Shiv Sena,” Mungantiwar said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Speaking about the election process, the BJP leader said, “BJP candidate Rahul Narwekar's name will be proposed for Speaker post. First, there will be a voice vote. If someone asks for division of votes then it will be done and the elected speaker will take charge."

While the BJP is preparing to ensure that its Colaba MLA Rahul Narvekar is chosen as Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has fielded Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi for the speaker's post.

After days of massive political drama, the Maharashtra assembly is set to elect the Assembly Speaker on Sunday - days after Eknath Shinde took over as the new chief minister and the BJP returned to power in the state. Devendra Fadnavis also took an oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra. The MLAs who supported Shinde against his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray returned to Mumbai on Saturday night from Goa. After the speaker is elected, the Shinde government is expected to face the floor test on Monday.

Meanwhile, CM Eknath Shinde-camp's MLAs, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other members held a meeting on Saturday night after the legislators returned to Mumbai.