rahul-narwekar-elected-speaker-of-maharashtra-assembly

BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar has been re-elected as the Speaker of the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Narwekar, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was elected unopposed after the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), decided not to field a candidate against him.

 

His nomination papers were filed on Sunday, and he was confirmed as Speaker on Monday.

 

Narwekar, who was re-elected from the Colaba Assembly seat in Mumbai in the November 20 elections, is only the second person to be re-elected as Speaker since the formation of Maharashtra in 1960.

 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Narwekar and highlighted that Balasaheb Bharde was the only other person to have been re-elected to the post twice.

 

Fadnavis also mentioned Kundanmal Firodia, the first Speaker to be reappointed during the time of Bombay state, and Sayaji L Silam, who served as Speaker before the state of Maharashtra was created.

 

During his previous tenure as Speaker of the 14th Maharashtra Assembly, Narwekar played a significant role in the political landscape. One of his key decisions was declaring the Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena as the legitimate and real Shiv Sena after the party split.

 

His re-election comes after the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition made a strong showing in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, securing over 230 of the 288 seats. In contrast, the MVA could only manage 46 seats.

 

The current composition of the 15th Maharashtra Assembly is dominated by the Mahayuti alliance. The BJP leads with 132 MLAs, followed by Shiv Sena with 57, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with 41, and other smaller parties.

 

The opposition, consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, NCP (SP), and others, holds significantly fewer seats.

 

Narwekar’s election as Speaker reflects the ongoing political changes in Maharashtra, particularly after the 2019 split in Shiv Sena. His role in maintaining order and overseeing the legislative process will be crucial in the coming years as the state navigates political challenges.