BJP's Rahul Narwekar re-elected as Maharashtra Assembly Speaker

The BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar was elected unopposed as the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly speaker on Monday. Narwekar filed his nomination papers on Sunday and was elected unopposed as the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) decided not to put up a contest.

Narwekar, the speaker in the 14th assembly for two and a half years, was re-elected from the Colaba assembly seat in Mumbai in the November 20 assembly elections.

The speaker's election will be followed by a floor test to prove the new government's strength. Governor CP Radhakrishnan will then address the joint session of both Houses of the state legislature.

MLAs take oath
Jayant Patil, the state president of the NCP (SP), and three other members took oath as MLAs in the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Monday. Patil, who represents the Islampur assembly constituency in Sangli district, took oath on the third and last day of the special session of the assembly.

Vinay Kore from Jansurajya Shakti, representing the Shahuwadi constituency in Kolhapur district, NCP's Sunil Shelke from Maval in Pune district, and Uttamrao Jankar from the Malshiras constituency in Solapur district were the other newly sworn-in legislators.

Shiv Sena's Vilas Bhumre and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Varun Sardesai, Manoj Jamsutkar, and NCP's Shekhar Nikam are yet to take the oath. According to sources in the Vidhan Bhavan, they can take the oath in the speaker's office later, reported PTI.