Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 28 (ANI): Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat on Tuesday hit out at Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari stating that there was no response over Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's request seeking approval for the election of the Legislative Assembly Speaker during the ongoing winter session of the state legislature.
Mumbai Dec 27 PTI In a fresh confrontation with the Raj Bhavan the MVA government in Maharashtra on Monday conveyed to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari that a delay in approving the schedule for election of the Legislative Assembly Speaker will be taken as his consent sources said as the ruling coalition appeared firm on electing a new Speaker on TuesdayThe Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government which has been at loggerheads with the Governors office over a number of issues appears firm on holding the Speaker election on Tuesday the last day of the ongoing winter session of the legislature despite the Governor refusing to accept the ruling coalitions request for approval of the scheduleThe Congress a constituent of the MVA has accused the opposition BJP of obstructing the Speakers election by using the Governors office The post is lying vacant since February this yearNotably 12 MLAs of the BJP are under suspension for a year since the monsoon session in July this year for allegedly misbehaving with the presiding officer in the Speakers chamberA senior minister told PTI that the Governor in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday morning said the amendment in existing legislative rules to pave the way for holding the Speakers election through a voice vote in the Assembly and not ballot was unconstitutionalA delegation of MVA ministers had met the Governor on Sunday with a letter of the Chief Minister seeking approval to hold the Speaker election in the ongoing legislature session itselfThe minister said a second letter sent to the Raj Bhavan on Monday evening explained that the government was within its rights to amend the existing rules related to the Speakers electionWe are firm on holding the election tomorrow Tuesday he saidThe development comes amid reports that Koshyari has not accepted the state governments plea for holding the speakers election during the winter session of the state legislatureYesterday the Governor had told a government delegation comprising Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal that he would seek legal opinion on the issue and get back to themLater Thorat had said the governor sought details of the amendments to the legislative rules about holding the election through a voice vote instead of ballotShinde also had said the change in procedure of holding the Speakers election was done as per the rulesShiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut took a swipe at the Governor this morning saying too much of study is not good in a democracyWhat matters in a democracy is listening to the voice of the people As per Constitution a Governor has to abide by the recommendations of the state cabinet he saidMaharashtra Congress president and MLA Nana Patole said the proposed election of the Speaker by a voice vote is not unconstitutionalThe post of Speaker is lying vacant since February this year after Patole who was elected to the constitutional position in end-2019 resigned to take charge as the state Congress chiefElection of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly will be held by a voice vote instead of through ballot and the government has planned to hold this election tomorrow Dec 28 itself Patole told reportersPatole was responding to a media query about a letter sent by the Governor to the state government saying holding the election through a voice vote will be unconstitutionalThe Congress MLA said the legislature has powers to amend rules related to election of Speaker and they were amended accordingly in MaharashtraThere is a similar process in the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra has adopted the same process of electing the Speaker by a voice vote he saidThe Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government and Koshyari have had constant face-offs since the three-party ruling coalition assumed office in November 2019Koshyari had declined to nominate Thackeray who is not an MLA to the Legislative Council through the Governors quota after the biennial election to the Upper house of the legislature were put off during the COVID-19 lockdown last yearThe Governors refusal had even threatened the survival of the MVA government as Thackeray had to get elected to either house of the Legislature before May 2020He was not a member of the legislature when he was sworn in as chief minister in November 2019 Koshyari has also not accepted the state cabinets recommendations to nominate 12 members to the Legislative Council through the governors quotaKoshyari had also written a letter to Thackeray on the issue of delay in reopening of temples and questioned his Hindutva ideals The state government had denied Koshyari permission to use the official plane to visit Uttarakhand his home stateMeanwhile senior Advocate Shrihari Aney a former Advocate General of Maharashtra told PTI that what the Governor says may not have any legal implications when it comes to elections inside the HouseThe basic position in law is that the elections are conducted in the House by the Speaker In this the Governor has no role to play Aney saidIf the Governor wants to give any directions or has anything to say then it has to be in private Aney addedThe senior advocate further said if the Speaker the Chair says there will be a voice vote instead of a secret ballot and if there is a section of MLAs which does not like this process then they can ask the Speaker presiding officer for a division of votesThen the Speaker the Chair would have to take a decision on whether the elections would be held via voice vote or a ballot While the Governor may not have any legal rights but what he says can be considered as what a section of MLAs want Aney said PTI MR SP GK RSY RSY
Mumbai Dec 26 PTI A delegation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government in Maharashtra met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday and handed over a letter seeking his approval for holding an election for the post of Legislative Assembly Speaker during the ongoing winter session of the state legislature State Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde of Shiv Sena Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat of Congress and Food and civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP met the governor at the Raj Bhavan this evening The election for the post of the legislative assembly speaker is likely to be held during the ongoing winter session which ends on December 28 The session had begun on December 22 Talking to reporters after the meeting Thorat who is also the Congress legislature party leader said they handed over to the governor a letter written by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray seeking his approval for the election schedule for the speakers post The governor sought details of the amendments to the legislative rules about holding the election through voice vote instead of ballot He said he will discuss and seek more information from legal experts and convey his decision by tomorrow Thorat said Shinde said the change in procedure of holding the speakers election has been done as per the rules and they were confident that the governor would his approval soon The assembly speakers post has been lying vacant since February this year after Nana Patole who occupied that post resigned to take charge as state Congress chief Congress MLA Sangram Thopte is said to be frontrunner for the post Thorat and Shinde said the governor neither discussed the issue of suspension of 12 BJP MLAs from the Assembly nor talked about the long-pending nomination of 12 members to the Legislative Council from the governors quota PTI MR BNM NP NP
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