Rift within Shiv Sena legislators today came to the fore on the floor of Maharashtra Legislative Council, prompting senior party leader Ramdas Kadam to stage a walk-out in protest.
The differences between party seniors Ramdas Kadam and Diwakar Raote came out in the open after the former raised objection to Raote, also the Group Leader of the party in Upper House, speaking on the issue of co-operative societies during a discussion on the amendment to Maharashtra Societies Cooperative Act, 1960.
"Since Raote spoke on the issue for seven hours, other legislators did not get the opportunity to speak", Kadam said.
"We have been studying on the issue day and night and we do not get opportunity to speak and the Bill is passed late in the night which is not appropriate", Kadam said addressing to the Chairman of the House, Shivajirao Deshmukh.
The fissures surfaced again during the motion to debate water conservation issue, the proposal for which was moved by Raote and BJP member Pandurang Phundkar.
However, when the debate began deputy chairman Vasant Davkhare said that only two legislators from Opposition, including Raote and Phundakar, will be allowed to speak on the issue, leaving Kadam fuming.
"How can the Chairman decide on who will talk on the issue. My name also figured in the proposal and hence I should have been given the chance to speak. Unfortunately, everything is decided in the Chairman's chamber. Why we have come here for then...This is favouritism", Kadam said while staging a walkout from the House.
