Leaders of Maharashtra’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Friday met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and urged him to approve the date of the election for the post of Assembly Speaker in the ongoing Budget session of the state legislature. However, the governor has expressed his displeasure over the sloganeering by legislators during his speech on Thursday and over the language used by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in a letter on holding the speaker’s election during the winter session.
The delegation comprising Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and ministers Jayant Patil, Chha-gan Bhujbal, Ashok Chavan, Nana Patole, Subhash Desai, Eknath Shinde and Anil Parab, handed over a letter to the Governor urging him to approve the MVA government’s proposal to hold the speaker’s election on March 9.
“We have sought permission to hold the election for the post of Assembly Speaker. There was also a positive discussion and we expect a positive response,” Shinde told media persons after the meeting. He said the issue of 12 people to be nominated to the upper house of the state legislature through the Governor’s quota was also raised.
Bhujbal said the MVA government was not putting any pressure on the Governor over the issue. “The governor should give the date he deems fit. We are not putting any pressure. However, this issue has been pending for almost a year now and should be resolved,” said Bhujbal.
Sources said the governor has assured the delegation that he will take a decision on the issue within two days. “He has expressed his displeasure over the sloganeering during his speech on Thursday but it was brought to his notice that it was for his welcome. The slogans about minister Nawab Malik’s arrest were raised by the BJP legislators,” said a source.
The source further said that the governor also expressed his displeasure over the language used by CM Uddhav Thackeray in a letter on holding the speaker’s election during the winter session. “We have requested him to not focus on past issues and give approval to the election of the speaker,” Bhujbal added.
Last month, the state cabinet had decided to hold the election for the speaker’s post on March 9 and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had communicated the same to the Governor. The post of assembly speaker fell vacant in February last year after the resignation of Nana Patole.