Deputy chairman of state Council election delayed

Mumbai: The ruling and opposition parties came face to face over the election of the deputy chairman of the state Legislative Council. The post has been lying vacant after Congress’ Manikrao Thakare retired.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been trying to pacify the Shiv Sena leadership by extending this post to the Sena. However, the Council chairman was unwilling to announce the election programme Friday.

This disturbed the BJP leadership, which threatened to bring a no-confidence motion agaist the Council chairman in the next session.

In order to woo the Sena leadership for an alliance in the coming general elections, the BJP gave the post of deputy speaker of the Assembly to the Sena on Friday. The BJP is also trying to give the post of deputy chairman of the Council to the Sena.

Sources said that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis reached Council chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar’s cabin on Friday and tried to convince him to issue a notification for the post of deputy chairman of the Council.

Mr Nimbalkar said that Friday was the last day of the session and it would be done in the next session in February 2019. Mr Fadnavis though kept pressing for the election on Friday itself.

Sources privy to all conversations informed that Mr Fadnavis called NCP chief Sharad Pawar told him that BJP wanted to give the post to the Sena.

Mr Pawar said that he was  unaware of the current political situation and that the chairman would take the right decision. This postponed the election for some time.