Maharashtra: BJP obstructed Assembly Speaker’s election, Congress alleges

The opposition BJP stopped the election for the Speaker of Maharashtra Meeting ‘by way of’ the governor’s workplace, state Congress chief Nana Patole alleged on Tuesday. The election, scheduled in the course of the day, was deferred following a authorized recommendation, sources had mentioned earlier.

“The BJP obstructed the Speaker’s election by way of the governor’s workplace,” Patole alleged whereas talking to reporters.

“Governor B S Koshyari had been knowledgeable about the complete course of (of election) by sending a letter. The federal government had taken care that the governor’s submit wouldn’t be insulted wherever,” the Congress chief mentioned.

The Speaker’s submit is vacant since February 2021 after Patole, who held it then, stop to take over as state Congress chief. “The governor ought to respect the constitutional place and never take pleasure in politics,” the Congress chief mentioned.

“It’s the prerogative of the legislature to vary the principles, there may be nothing unconstitutional about it,” Patole claimed.

The method may have been accomplished in a single day, however the governor despatched his letter on the morning of the final day of the session (Tuesday), he mentioned.

“The election will happen within the price range session in February,” Patole added.

The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress was not afraid of the BJP’s “risk of President’s rule,” he mentioned.

The election couldn’t be held earlier as Meeting classes had been curtailed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Patole mentioned.

Because the MVA has 174 members within the 288-member home, there was no reality within the BJP’s allegations (that it was afraid of dropping if election was held by poll), Patole mentioned.

The federal government deferred the election after receiving a authorized opinion that confrontation with the Raj Bhavan be averted, sources had mentioned earlier within the day.

The Raj Bhavan refused to present its nod for the election schedule, sources claimed.

Koshyari had conveyed to the federal government earlier that its modification within the legislative guidelines to allow Speaker’s election by way of voice vote as an alternative of poll was ‘unconstitutional’, and he was checking its constitutional validity.