New Delhi: The Gujarat BJP on Thursday declared Shankar Choudhary and Jetha Bharwad as its candidates for the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively in the 15th Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
The election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly is to be held on December 20, a day after which the new Assembly will be convened on December 19. State BJP media cell convenor Yajnesh Dave said in a statement that the party has chosen Chowdhury and Bharwad for the two top posts in the assembly. Meeting.
In the recently concluded assembly elections, BJP created history by winning 156 out of total 182 seats. With the BJP having an unprecedented majority, Chowdhary and Bharwad are set to be elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.
On December 19, the first day of the new assembly, the newly elected members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are to be administered the oath by Pro Tem Speaker Yogesh Patel.
Chowdhary (52) has been elected from Tharad constituency in Banaskantha by defeating Congress MLA Gulab Singh Rajput. He is also the chairman of Banas Dairy and was the health minister in the Anandiben Patel government.
In 2017, Chowdhary was defeated by Janiben Thakor of INC from Vav constituency in Banaskantha district. The senior BJP leader contested his first election in 1997 from the Radhanpur constituency against the then Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela. However, he was defeated by Vaghela. But in 1998, he was elected from the same seat in the general elections to the assembly.
Bharwad (72), another senior BJP legislator, was elected from Shehra constituency in Panchmahal district. He was also the Deputy Speaker in the 14th Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Bharwad is also the chairman of Panchmahal Dairy.
In 2012, both Chowdhary and Bharwad were embroiled in a controversy after media reports alleged that they were watching porn inside the Gujarat Assembly. Both had denied the allegations, while the then Assembly Speaker Ganpat Vasava had ordered an inquiry into the episode. Both were later given a clean chit after the report of the Forensic Science Laboratory.
