Assembly Speaker's election can't be held as matter sub-judice: Maharashtra Governor

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. File Photo

The rift between the Maharashtra government and Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has further escalated as the latter has refused to give nod for holding the state Assembly Speaker's election.

An official from the Raj Bhavan informed the state government on Tuesday that the date for holding the election cannot be fixed as the matter is sub-judice, sources said.

The Speaker's post has been lying vacant since February last year, after incumbent Nana Patole resigned to take charge as Maharashtra Congress president.

The state Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, had initially demanded that Koshyari allow to hold the election on March 9, and later sought that the election be allowed on March 16, during the on-going budget session of the legislature.

"The secretary in-charge of the state's parliamentary affairs department was informed by the governor's principal secretary on Tuesday that the date for holding the election cannot be fixed since the matter is sub-judice," the sources said.

Patole on Tuesday slammed Koshyari for the "delay" in approving the schedule for holding the Speaker's election.

He said the Congress has finalised its candidate for the post of Speaker and will announce the name once the election schedule is announced.

In the last winter session of the Maharashtra legislature in December 2021, the state government amended rules for Speaker's election from ballot system to voice vote. The new rules envisage the 'open voting method' to elect the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

The new rules were challenged in the Bombay High Court by BJP MLA Girish Mahajan. The HC on March 9 dismissed his plea.

Following this, Mahajan approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the notification dated December 23, 2021 was "illegally and arbitrarily" issued by the government amending Rules 6 and 7 of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rule, 1960, under which the secret ballot method was replaced with an open vote system through voice vote and show of hands.

The ongoing budget session of the state legislature ends on March 25.

Notably, the MVA government and Koshyari have engaged in a war of words over various issues in the past.

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