Rajendra Trivedi, BJP MLA from Raopura constituency in Vadodara district, on Saturday filed nomination for the post of Speaker of Fourteenth Legislative Assembly of Gujarat. State BJP president Jitu Vaghani made the announcement on Friday in Bhavnagar.
Trivedi first went to Shree Kamalam, BJP state headquarters , where he tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the party. He then filed his nomination in Gandhinagar in presence of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani. He will resume office on Monday. Opposition Congress also supported his candidature.
Talking to media persons, Trivedi said he would fulfil his duties without bias and uphold the tradition of Speaker of the House.
Trivedi, an advocate, is a second-time MLA. He began his political career when he became a corporator of Baroda Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 2005. He became an MLA in 2012 from Raopura for the first time. He was Minister of State for Cultural Affairs when Vijay Rupani was first made Chief Minister in 2016. Trivedi had earlier represented Gujarat government in the Best Bakery case during 2002 riots in the aftermath of the Godhra incident.
There was discontent in the party as none of the MLAs from Vadodara got a place in the newly formed state Council of Ministers. The grievance stands addressed now that Trivedi is Speaker .
Gujarat has not had a Deputy Speaker for about 20 years now. Generally, the post is filled by the Opposition party. A panel of MLAs conducts House proceedings in the Speaker’s absence.
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