Mumbai, March 26 The NCP legislator from Pimpri Assembly constituency, Anna Bansode, on Wednesday was elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as the Opposition had not fielded its nominee.
Bansode is the 22nd Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis moved the motion proposing Bansode’s election as the Deputy Speaker.
Similar motions were moved by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. It was seconded by the Legislative Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil.
Thereafter, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar put the motion for vote and announced his unopposed election unanimously.
The CM, accompanied by both Dy CMs and Opposition members, took Bansode to his seat located near the Opposition benches and congratulated him.
CM Fadnavis, in his speech congratulated Bansode for his unopposed election and also thanked the Opposition for not fielding its candidate and extending its support to the NCP leader.
“Because of the Constitution of India, a tea seller has become the Prime Minister and now a paan seller has become the Deputy Speaker of the august House,” he said, adding that Bansode will do justice to the post and discharge his duties impartially, in line with the customs and traditions of the House.
Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar also congratulated Bansode for his election as the Deputy Speaker.
Bansode, started his political journey as the corporator and standing committee chairman of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and later was elected from the Pimpri Assembly seat in 2009, 2019 and 2024 elections.
Bansode on Tuesday had filed his nomination with the legislative secretary in the presence of Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar, Chandrakant Patil and industry minister Uday Samant.
The filing of nomination was open till 12 pm on Wednesday but no one from the Opposition ranks filed the nomination.
The NCP had also shortlisted the name of party legislator Rajkumar Badola for the post of Deputy Speaker but finally zeroed in on Bansode considering the upcoming election to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
Bansode, who has been a close confidant of Ajit Pawar, joined him after the split in the NCP in July 2023.
Bansode, who could not get a ministerial berth, has been picked by Ajit Pawar personally and will enjoy ministerial status.
As a part of the understanding among the MahaYuti partners, BJP and Shiv Sena gave the Deputy Speaker’s post to the NCP.
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