Maharashtra politics: Dissent in NCP ranks? Several MLAs skip voting on Speaker election - all you need to know

Two NCP legislators - Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik- are in jail in connection with different money laundering cases. Five other NCP MLAs did not show up. NCP legislator Narhari Zirwal could not vote as he is the deputy speaker.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar

Photo : ANI
Mumbai: As the political upheaval within the Shiv Sena continues, there is now speculation that the Nationalist Congress Party might also be similarly afflicted. The possibility arose as BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar was elected as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Sunday, with around five NCP lawmakers skipping the important meeting.
Out of the 271 votes polled in the 288-member house, Narwekar bagged 164 votes while MVA candidate Rajan Salvi secured 107 votes. Three MLAs - two of SP and one belonging to AIMIM- had abstained from voting, while two NCP legislators - Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik- are in jail in connection with different money laundering cases. A Shiv Sena MLA had recently passed away while the remaining people were absent for various reasons including ill-health.
Apart from Deshmukh and Malik however, five other NCP MLAs - Dattatray Bharane, Anna Bansode, Nilesh Lanke, Dilip Mohite and Baban Shinde - also skipped the Assembly session. NCP legislator Narhari Zirwal could not vote as he is the deputy speaker. Most of the absentee NCP MLAs are considered to be close to former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
“Bharane did not attend the Speaker’s election because of his mother’s death a few days back,” an NCP leader told news agency PTI. Reports indicate that Shinde is presently out of the country on a personal trip while Mohite and Bansode had been unable to participate after reaching the Vidhan Bhavan late.
As per a Hindustan Times report, a section of the NCP had wished to align with the BJP prior to Eknath Shinde's defection and subsequent split within the Sena. The suggestion had however not been favoured by NCP chief Sharad Pawar and party MP Supriya Sule, formenting dissent within the party ranks.
It is also pertinent to note that NCP leader Dhananjay Munde - also known for being close to senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar - had met with newly-appointed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hours after he was sworn-in. A PTI report quoting a close aide of Munde said that the meeting took place at Fadnavis's residence in Mumbai late on Thursday night and lasted for about half an hour. He is known to have a good rapport with Fadnavis.
Following the Speaker election, NCP chief Sharad Pawar had called a meeting to discuss the trust vote. The party is also eyeing the post of the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and the names of candidates were discussed in the meeting.
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