NCP may not support Cong over deputy chairman post

Though Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state president Sunil Tatkare said that it would offer Congress the post of deputy chairman of the state Legislative Council, Congress leaders fear that NCP would postpone the election of deputy chairman till winter session, which is held at Nagpur every year, with an aim to tie up with the Bharatiya Janata Party after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Meanwhile, the state Cabinet has taken a decision to hold a special session on July 8 to elect the chairman of the Upper House.

According to a Cabinet decision, the special session of the state Legislative Council will be held to elect the chairman and deputy chairman of the House. However, Mr Tatkare said that only the chairman would be elected on July 8. “In special session, only Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar will be elected and he will take oath as chairman of the House,” said Mr Tatkare. He further said, “In the upcoming monsoon session, which will begin from July 18, Mr Nimbalkar, parliamentary affairs minister Girish Bapat and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will meet and jointly chalk out the deputy chairman election programme.”

When asked whether NCP would fulfil its commitment to offer the post of deputy chairman to Congress or whether it would give it to the BJP, Mr Tatkare said, “There is no question of giving this offer to the

BJP. The deputy chairman will be from the Congress only.”

In a recently concluded election for the Legislative Council, Congress had supported NCP candidates Mr Nimbalkar and then Leader of Opposition Dhanajay Munde on the condition that Congress would get the post of deputy chairman of the Upper House.

Senior Congress leader Sharad Ranpise will be the probable candidate for deputy chairman. Former state president Manikrao Thakre is also in fray for the post. MPCC president Ashok Chavan has given green signal to both names, but Mr Ranpise will be given the opportunity.

Meanwhile, Congress fears that NCP will postpone election of deputy chairman till the winter session. “Congress fears that NCP will not allow Congress to get a second post in Upper House. Once Mr Nimbalkar takes the oath of Chairman of the House, they will ignore Congress,” claimed senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity.

He further said that NCP was keeping an eye on the BMC elections. They feel that Shiv Sena will separate from BJP before the elections and once it happens, BJP will need NCP’s support. “In such a situation, NCP will bend BJP to its will and the latter will probably stop enquiries against NCP leaders,” claimed the Congress leader. Mr Tatkare, however, refuted all such possibilities and said that it would support Congress.

Speaking about the situation, a BJP insider said, “BJP had supported NCP while it had brought no-confidence motion against Congress’s Shivajirao Deshmukh, then chairman of the Upper House. BJP is expecting NCP turn to help it get the secondary post in the House and we hope it will do it.”