MVA fields Shiv Sena’s Rajan Salvi for post of Speaker

The choice of Rajan Salvi, the MLA from Rajapur constituency in the Konkan belt, is a deviation from the agreed power-sharing formula as per which the Congress gets to field its candidate as Speaker.

A day ahead of the Speaker’s election in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi named Sena MLA Rajan Salvi as its candidate for the Speaker’s post. Salvi will be pitted against the BJP-Shinde faction nominee Rahul Narvekar, the MLA from Colaba. The Speaker’s election will be held on Sunday at the specially-convened 2-day Assembly session. This is likely to be followed by chief minister Eknath Shinde being called to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi. (PTI Photo)

The choice of Salvi, the MLA from Rajapur constituency in the Konkan belt, is a deviation from the agreed power-sharing formula as per which the Congress gets to field its candidate as Speaker. Following mass desertion by Sena MLAs to Eknath Shinde’s camp and the fall of the MVA government, the Congress decided to give up its claim on the Speaker’s post and extend support to Salvi instead.

At the same time the alliance has made it clear that its contentions in the Supreme Court which is hearing a petition on the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs and also on Shinde faction’s no-confidence against Narhari Zirwal, still stand. The MVA has also sent a letter stating the same to Rajendra Bhagwat, principal secretary, Maharashtra legislature.

“We wish to make it absolutely and unequivocally clear that the participation in this said election is wholly without prejudice to all our rights and contentions raised in the writ petition pending before the Supreme Court... Nominating a candidate and participation in the election should not be treated directly or indirectly as a waiver or giving up any of the rights and contentions of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi,” states the one page letter singed by Ajay Chaudhury (Shiv Sena), Jayant Patil (NCP) and Balasaheb Thorat (Congress). All three are legislative party leaders of their parties.

The move to field a candidate is important for the MVA considering the fact that the Shiv Sena has appointed Ajay Chaudhury as their legislative party leader and Sunil Prabhu as chief whip. Following a complaint from Shiv Sena, the deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal has also started the disqualification process against rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. It was challenged before the Supreme Court which stayed the process and has kept the next hearing on July 11.

The rebel faction has elected Eknath Shinde as their legislative party leader and Bharat Gogawale as the chief whip. The Speaker’s election will be carried out by a voice vote.

Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu has directed all party MLAs to vote for Salve in the Speaker’s election. The Shiv Sena has 54 MLAs, of which 15 are with Shiv Sena and 39 with the rebel faction. The NCP has 53 MLAs and the Congress, 44 MLAs.

The contest now is about which of the two Sena whips will be binding.

While Sena candidate Salvi is hoping for a win against all odds, NCP chief Sharad Pawar was non-commital while talking to reporters on Saturday. While certain Sena leaders believed that rebel MLAs will change their minds after returning to Mumbai he said he did not know what will transpire as the rebels were not in touch with him. Eknath Shinde, on his part, told the media in Goa that he was confident of a win on the floor of the House and claimed he had the support of 170 MLAs including 106 MLAs of the BJP, 39 Sena rebels, and the rest comprised Independents and MLAs from smaller parties. Shinde also claimed that Bharat Gogawala’s whip rather than Sunil Prabhu’s will be binding at the Speaker’s election on Sunday.