Mumbai: The BJP will hold all aces in the Maharashtra legislature as the saffron party on Wednesday nominated Ram Shinde, a close aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, for the post of chairman of the Vidhan Parishad (State Legislative Council). BJP’s Rahul Narvekar also holds the Speaker’s post.
Shinde filed his candidature for the post of Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar, BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule and party leader Chandrakant Patil were also present with him while filing nominations.
Although the election will be held on Thursday, it is a foregone conclusion that Shinde will be appointed as the Speaker of the Legislative Council due to the numerical strength of the ruling Mahayutia government in Parliament. Currently, 26 of the total 78 seats in the council are vacant. BJP has 19 members, NCP (Ajit Pawar) has 7 and Shinde Sena has 6, with the support of 3 independents, the total number of Mahayuti has reached 35. The total strength of opposition Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) is 17. In which Shiv Sena (UBT) has 7 members, Congress 7 and NCP (SP) 3 members.
Shinde’s nomination dashed the hopes of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s Neelam Gorhe, who took over after NCP’s Ramraje Nimbalkar’s term ended in July 2022.
“I heartily thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister of the country, Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party National President JP Nadda Ji, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, BJP State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and all the leaders of NDA and Grand Alliance,” Shinde said in his post on X.
Shinde was earlier elected to the assembly from Karjat Jamkhed constituency in 2014. He served as a minister in the previous Devendra Fadnavis government (2014-19). In 2019, he lost to Rohit Pawar, NCP (SP) leader and grandson of Sharad Pawar. Shinde became a member of the Legislative Council on July 8, 2022. However, Pawar defeated him again in the recent assembly elections.