NCP's Ramraje Nimbalkar elected Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman

Shiv Sena withdraws candidate after deal with the BJP for the post of state assembly deputy speaker

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ramraje Nimbalkar was on Friday elected chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. This followed the Shiv Sena, the Congress and an independent candidate withdrawing from the race.

It is expected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with 12 members in the 78-member state council, will field a candidate for the post of deputy chairman, currently held by the NCP’s Vasant Davkhare.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had a telephonic conversation with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and assured him the party would get the post of deputy speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. Reportedly, this led to the Sena’s decision to withdraw its nominee, Neelam Gorhe, from Friday’s elections. Besides, Fadnavis had said that BJP wouldn’t vote for the Shiv Sena candidate. The BJP had also announced it would support the Shiv Sena in the by-election for the Bandra Assembly seat, adding it wouldn’t field a candidate.

The Shiv Sena has disapproved of the pace at the haste with which elections for the post of Maharashtra Legislative Council chairman were announced, after a no-confidence motion against incumbent Shivajirao Deshmukh was passed on March 16. Besides, the party has criticised the BJP for supporting NCP’s no-trust motion against Deshmukh.

The Shiv Sena also expressed displeasure at the fact that the post of deputy speaker has been vacant since November 2014, when BJP leader Haribhau Bagde was elected as speaker of the state Assembly.

BJP and Sena leaders told Business Standard both parties had worked out a deal to keep their alliance intact. They, however, declined to divulge the details.

The NCP clarified it didn’t seek the BJP’s support for Friday’s elections.