Ahead of the floor test scheduled on July 4, Chief minister Eknath Shinde’s faction has bagged a big win after the BJP legislator Rahul Narwekar got 164 votes and was elected as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. He defeated Rajan Salvi who was fielded by Uddhav Thackery’s camp for the post.
MLA, Rahul Narwekar, a 45 MLA, filed his nomination for the post on Friday. His name was forwarded a day after a new government was formed in Maharashtra. He is an advocate by profession. Before joining the BJP in 2019, he had brief stints with Shiv Sena and NCP in the past. He contested and won a seat in state assembly elections from South Mumbai’s Colaba constituency. Currently, he is serving the saffron party as media-in-charge as well.
The Speaker’s post of Maharashtra’s Assembly Speaker has been vacant for more than a year. it was in February 2021 when Nana Patole resigned from the post and since then the seat has been unoccupied.
The newly formed Eknath Shinde-led government will undergo a strength test in the assembly tomorrow, July 4. Shinde and 50 MLAs of his faction arrived in Mumbai yesterday from Goa. Of 50, 39 MLAs are from Shiv Sena who rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray.
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