Mumbai: With Deputy Speaker Narhari Sitaram Zirwal presiding over the election proceeding, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Rahul Narwekar was elected the new Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Sunday.
He defeated his sole rival - the Maha Vikas Aghadi-backed Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Salvi - with a comfortable margin.
The elections were held by a division of votes on the first of the two-day Special Assembly Session ordered by the Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, last weekend.
Rahul Narwekar got 164 votes whereas his rival Salvi got 107 votes. Three MLAs - Abu Asim Azmi and Raees Shaikh of Samajwadi Party (SP), and Dhule MLA Farook Shah of AIMIM abstained from voting.
Malegaon MLA Mufti Mohammad Ismail of AIMIM was not present in the house when voting to elect the new speaker was held.
The entire election process was presided over by Deputy Speaker Narhari Sitaram Zirwal.
Interestingly, Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena rebel group, has issued a no confidence motion against Narhari Zirwal.
The no-confidence motion against Zirwal was moved after he issued disqualification order against 16 Sena rebels.
The matter is pending in the SC where a hearing will be held on July 11.
It was however interesting to see how Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena rebel group and BJP MLAs participated in the Speaker Election the proceeding that was presided over by Zirwal against whom they themselves have expressed no confidence.
Against this backdrop, the question being raised in the political circle is if the disqualification notice against 16 Sena rebel MLAs is null and void since Deputy Speaker Zirwal has lost the confidence of the house then how the Speaker election presided over by him is valid?
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath S. Shinde, supported by the BJP, will seek a 'vote of confidence' in the new government sworn-in on June 30 after the collapse of the MVA government on Monday July 04, 2022.
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