Leaders of Maharashtra's ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Friday called on State Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Mumbai and urged him to approve the schedule for Legislative Assembly Speaker's election on March 9.
The Budget Session of the State legislature commenced from March 3 and will continue till March 25.
A delegation of MVA leaders, comprising Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, PWD minister Ashok Chavan, Industries Minister Subhash Desai, Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Transport Minister Anil Parab, Minister of State for Home Satej Patil, State Congress chief Nana Patole and State NCP president and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil, met the Governor at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.
Talking to reporters later, Mr. Bhujbal said the delegation informed the Governor about the schedule for the Speaker's election on March 9.
"We appealed to the Governor to approve the schedule," he said, adding that the government expects a positive response from the Raj Bhavan.
Referring to the exchange of letters between the government and the Raj Bhavan in December last year over the issue, Mr. Bhujbal said the reference to those letters was made by the Governor, but the delegation urged Mr. Koshyari to leave the past behind and allow the Assembly Speaker's post, which has been lying vacant for a year.
Mr. Patole alleged that the BJP doesn't want the Speaker's election to take place.
Mr. Shinde told reporters that the delegation also urged the Governor to approve the list of 12 members sent to him for their nomination to the Legislative Council from his quota, which has been pending for more than a year.
In the previous legislature session, the government had amended the existing rules to facilitate the Speaker's election through a voice vote. The Governor had described the decision as unconstitutional and sought legal opinion. At that time, the government had asked the Governor to approve the schedule for the Speaker's election, and warned that it would go ahead with the election if he failed to do so. However, the government did a rethink and decided against the move.
The Speaker's post has been lying vacant since February last year after Nana Patole resigned to take charge as Congress State unit president.
