BJP leader Ram Shinde file Photo credit: PTI
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and MLC Ram Shinde is all set to become the new Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Mr. Shinde of Dhangar community hails from Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar). In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Shinde confirmed the development, saying he would file his nomination on Wednesday (December 18, 2024).
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Maharashtra BJP President Chandrasekhar Bawankule, and all the leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). and the Mahayuti Alliance for their “support and trust”.
His appointment is seen as a strategic move by the BJP to address the long-standing demand of the Dhangar community for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation list. Currently classified under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, the Dhangar community is an important part of the BJP’s vote bank.
Mr Shinde’s political journey includes being elected as an MLA from Karjat Jamkhed in 2014. However, he lost the seat in 2019 to Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Chandra Pawar (NCP-SP) leader and Sharad Pawar’s grandson Rohit Pawar. Candidate as MLC but suffered another defeat from the same constituency in this year’s assembly elections.
After the term of Ramraje Nimbalkar ended in 2022, the post of chairman was vacant and vice-chairman Neelam Gorhe has been holding the duties of acting chairman. With Mr. Shinde’s appointment, the BJP will hold both key MLA posts in the state, as the Assembly Speaker’s post is currently held by Colaba MLA Rahul Narvekar.
published – December 17, 2024 at 10:19 am IST