Eknath Shinde-BJP candidate Rahul Narwekar has been elected as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. He received 164 votes through head count.
He was fielded against Shiv Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi, who was the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine for the Speaker's election.
Narvekar, the BJP MLA from Colaba Assembly constituency in Mumbai, is the son-in-law of NCP leader Ramraje Nimbalkar.
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The post of Assembly Speaker has been lying vacant since Nana Patole of Congress resigned in February 2021 to become his party's state unit president. Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal was officiating as acting Speaker in the meantime.
The newly formed Shiv Sena-BJP government will face the floor test on July 4 during the special two-day session of the Legislative Assembly which began on Sunday.
