Maharashtra: School education minister Varsha Gaikwad for Speaker?

School education minister Varsha Gaikwad

A section in the Congress has come up with the idea of making school education minister and four-term Congress MLA from Mumbai, Varsha Gaikwad, the Assembly speaker. The thought is expected to be discussed between the state leaders and party general secretary in-charge HK Patil, who is in the city on a three-day visit.

The Congress hasn't finalised a candidate for the coveted post, which became vacant after Nana Patole quit early this year. The names of Sangram Thopte, Prithviraj Chavan, Nitin Raut and many other MLAs came up but nothing materialised even in the two-day legislative session which passed off without the election.

The suspension of 12 BJP members brought the speaker's post back in the reckoning with the presiding officer and Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav being tipped as the next man in the high office. It also started a row because under the MVA's power-sharing formula, the Congress has been given the speaker's office.

Gaikwad, 46, if chosen, will be the first woman Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly. Being a Dalit, she befits the party's backward class and women welfare agenda. Sources said since party's high command Rahul Gandhi wants a younger leader to take up the responsibility, Gaikwad may get his approval as well.

Sources said Patole, in addition to the state president's office, has demanded a cabinet berth. Raut doesn't want to be the speaker. Both may get their wish fulfilled if someone like Gaikwad exits from the cabinet.

However, the election, if scheduled when the 12 MLAs are under suspension, is likely to get challenged in the court by the BJP on the charges that the MVA has attempted an artificial majority.

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