New Delhi: Finally, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker will be elected during the budget session of the state legislature beginning March 3 in Mumbai. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government has proposed to hold elections for March 11 before the presentation of the annual budget for 2020-23. The election was postponed on December 28 after Governor BS Koshyari did not approve the MVA’s proposal to hold the Speaker’s election. Saying through voice vote instead of secret ballot that it is a violation of the Constitution.
A senior MVA minister told the Free Press Journal, “The state cabinet, which approved the governor’s address to a joint session of the state legislature on March 3, and the duration of the budget session, discussed the conduct of the election of the Speaker. To avoid any conflict, it was decided that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will write to the Governor regarding the move to hold elections for the President of the state government. The post of President is with the Congress Party.
The post of the president has been lying vacant for more than 10 months after Nana Patole resigned and took over as the state Congress chief.
According to the report of the Free Press Journal, the state government, by amending the rules of the assembly, passed a resolution in the winter session and elected the speaker by voice vote instead of secret ballot. The government claimed that this was done within the powers enjoyed by the legislature. The government had also informed that the Governor cannot scrutinize the rules amended by the legislature and prolong the election of the Speaker.
However, the Governor did not give his assent which forced the MVA government to postpone the election of the Speaker to December 28, 2021, as senior leaders feared that the Governor would be recommended imposition of President’s Rule if the election went ahead. may be invited to. of the legislative framework. The opposition BJP had accused the MVA of running a “most insecure government” that does not trust its MLAs and fears that there will be cross-voting in the election of the Speaker. The opposition also argued that the rules cannot be amended in the absence of the Speaker.
