Maharashtra assembly live: Congress leader Nana Patole is new speaker

Kisan Kathore, a senior BJP leader from the rural pocket of Murbad in Thane, is known for his aggressive yet friendly demeanour in political circles. The 64-year-old, who was once a staunch Sharad Pawar loyalist, started his career as a sarpanch of a village in Ambernath to slowly climb and lead the Thane zIlla parishad in 2002. Political associates say the four-time MLA from Pimploli rose to stardom by defeating Shiv Sena’s Sabir Shaikh in the 2004 assembly polls from Ambernath. While in NCP, Kathore had problems with a few contemporaries which perhaps forced him to switch loyalties to BJP in 2014. He is known to be close to former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “He is known to aggressively meet his targets without ruffling feathers, something which his party bosses feel may work in his favour if he is elected as speaker,” said a political observer.

The 56-year-old farmer’s son from Sakoli in Bhandara district is a face of the backward Vidarbha region. Patole’s nomination conveys a message to the state that MVA is profarmers. A known leader of the farming community who had resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet in December 2017 protesting the BJP’s alleged anti-farmer policies, Patole’s nomination marks his return to centrestage. After leaving Congress in 2008, he had joined BJP when Modi’s popularity was at its peak in 2014. “He’s a four-time MLA and one-time MP and therefore he was offered the highest post in the house. It’s an honour not only for him, but for the entire Vidarbha. Earlier, Sharad Tasre, Pramod Shende and Moresh Tembhurne and others had occupied the deputy speaker’s post,” said MLA Ashish Deshmukh who too like Patole had quit BJP to join Congress last year. Patole, who has won from Lakhandur and Sakoli, was earlier made Congress deputy legislature party leader. He shot to fame after unexpectedly crushing NCP stalwart Praful Patel by over 1.5 lakh votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Bhandara-Gondia constituency. Then, he fought on a BJP ticket. After resigning as MP and quitting BJP, he travelled from Buldhana’s Sindkhed Raja to Sakoli, highlighting farmer issues. Later, he joined Congress. A supporter of Vidarbha statehood, Patole had raised the issue through a private member bill in Parliament. In Lok Sabha polls this year, Congress pitted him against heavy-weight minister Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur. Patole surprised all by bagging over 4.4 lakh votes. “Congress will make the dream of Vidarbha statehood a reality under new Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi,” he had told TOI then.

In the negotiations on ministerial berths and other posts in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the Congress was persuaded in recent days to give up its claim on the deputy chief minister’s post. As the NCP did not back down from its contention that there should not be two deputy chief ministers in the cabinet, it was agreed that the Congress could keep the speaker’s post provided it gave up its claim on the deputy chief minister’s post.

NCP has emerged the biggest beneficiary in the negotiations within the Maha Vikas Aghadi for ministerial berths with a tally of 16. It will also get the deputy CM's job. Shiv Sena will have 15 members in the cabinet, including the CM. Congress settled for 12, besides the speaker's post. The NCP had objected to the proposal to create two posts of deputy CMs. Read full story

A day after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) won the vote of confidence motion, it drafted a strategy for the crucial election for the speaker’s post on Sunday. While Congress has nominated Nana Patole, the high-profile legislator from Sakoli, BJP has fielded Murbad legislator Kisan Kathore for the post. Read full story

"Maharashtra never saw vindictive approach. Our government will not work in a vindictive manner...They (the BJP) ran away when the floor test was on," NCP MP Supriya Sule said. Read more

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday attended the special assembly session of the state and pointed out that it violated the rules of the House as it began without 'Vande Mataram'. Following weeks of a tussle over government formation in the state, a special two-day assembly session of Maharashtra begun on Saturday, however, Fadnavis said that it violated the rules as it had begun without 'Vande Mataram'. "assembly starts with 'Vande Matram' and ends with national anthem when it is called. This session started without 'Vande Mataram' that is the reason it's violating the rules", he said. He also said that they were informed late about the session. Read more