House panel recommends Maharashtra Assembly Speaker's election by voice vote, not secret ballot

Prithviraj Chavan. File Pic

The legislative rules committee of the Maharashtra Assembly has recommended that the Speaker's election be held through a voice vote, and not secret ballot.

The panel's report was tabled in the House on Wednesday by senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, on the first day of the five-day winter session of the state legislature.

The Maharashtra government moved a notice in the Assembly, reducing the time frame for objections and suggestions on the report of the legislative rules committee from 10 days to one.

The motion was moved by Chavan, whose party is an alliance partner of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state.

However, the Opposition BJP took strong objection to the notice, and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said the MVA was the "most insecure government".

"If you say you have a complete majority why are you scared? There is no whip for the Speaker's post election. If the government loses the election, it doesn't fall," the former state chief minister said.

Sudhir Mungantiwar (of the BJP) wondered why the government wanted to change the rules, when it could have consulted the Opposition for a consensus on the Speaker's election.

The Opposition demanded a poll on the committee's proposal, but it was passed by a voice vote in the House.

The Opposition members led by Fadnavis then staged a walk out in protest, but Mungantiwar stayed back.

State Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said the Opposition's walkout should not be recorded in the proceedings since Mungantiwar did not join it.

State Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said the 10-day period (for suggestions and objections on the legislative rules committee's report) has been reduced to one, since the duration of the legislature proceedings has been reduced because of Covid-19.

The Speaker's election is scheduled during the winter session of the legislature.

The post has been lying vacant since February this year after Nana Patole resigned to take charge as the state Congress president.

Earlier, the Speaker's election had always been done through consensus in the state.

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