Election of deputy chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council delayed

The Shiv Sena could not stake claim to the post of deputy chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Friday. Election to the post could not take place as Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar adjourned the upper house sine die. Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab termed the development as "unfortunate". 

Had the election been held, his party would have won the post on its own strength, he said. A source in the office of Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had requested NCP chief Sharad Pawar to help get the Sena candidate elected to deputy chairman's post. 

However, NCP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Council Dhananjay Munde skipped the last week motion in the House Friday to avoid an election, a source in Munde's office claimed. The post is vacant for the last four years. The BJP offered the post of Deputy Speaker of the Assembly to its ally Shiv Sena. 

Vijay Auti, three times MLA, was elected unopposed Thursday. A Congress source said the party wanted to contest the election for deputy chairman but did not have the numbers. "Congress and NCP have 17 members each. If the election was to be held, Sena would have won," he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)