We will elect Speaker but nominate 12 individuals as MLCs: NCP tells Koshyari

Nawab Malik | File Pic

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asking him to take a call on three issues raised by the BJP has prompted the ruling NCP to demand that the governor nominate the 12 members from his quota as MLCs whose names were forwarded by the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government months back.

Speaking to reporters, state Minority Affairs Minister and senior NCP leader Nawab Malik said the issue of holding the election to the post of the state legislative Assembly speaker during the two-day monsoon session, beginning July 5, is being considered. He said a final decision (on holding the Speaker's election) will be taken once Covid-19 test reports of all the MLAs are received.

In his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray dated June 24, the governor asked the CM to take a call on extending the duration of the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature as demanded by the BJP, urgently filling the post of the legislative assembly Speaker and deferring elections to local bodies as the OBC quota issue is pending.

"We will hold the election to the Speaker's post but the governor should also take a decision on nominating 12 members as MLCs from his quota. The 12 legislators can contribute to the development and welfare of the people of Maharashtra," Malik said.

The MVA government and the governor have been at loggerheads over the appointments of the members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) with the former accusing Koshyari of purposely sitting on the file cleared by the state Cabinet. Recently, the Bombay High Court had sought a response from the Maharashtra government and the governor's secretary regarding the decision on the MLCs.

On Speaker's election, Malik said, "We have written to the Deputy Speaker of the assembly for the election of the Speaker. Holding of the election during the two-day session is being considered," he said, adding that the Maha Vikas Aghadi will win the Speaker's election with a bigger margin than it had won the trust vote in November, 2019, he said.

The tripartite government of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress came to power with Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister in November 2019 after the BJP, which had emerged as the single largest party in the state Assembly elections, failed to form a government following differences with former ally Shiv Sena.

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