Despite lacking the numbers, BJP fielded its senior member Vijay alias Bhai Girkar for election to the post of Deputy Chairman in Maharashtra Legislative Council, while Congress nominated Manikrao Thakre.
Interestingly, Girkar has filed three nomination papers for the election to the post. The nomination papers include signatures of Sena members Neelam Gorhe and Gopikisan Bajoriya. The other BJP nominators are Sujitsingh Thakur, Anil Sole, Girish Vyas and Smita Wagh.
Girkar said the BJP, along with its allies, has 30 votes.
“We need eight more votes to win,” he said.
The Congress is weary though the NCP has assured it of letting it contest the polls in lieu of support for the Council elections in June this year.
A senior Congress member said the BJP had supported NCP last year when Shivajirao Deshmukh was forced to step down from the post of Chairman.
“At a meeting held then between BJP and NCP leaders, the BJP had offered to let NCP have the Deputy Speakers post in the Legislative Assembly, in-turn allowing BJP to have the Deputy Chairman post in Council, for removing Deshmukh from the post last year,” he said.
In the Legislative Assembly, the post of Deputy Speaker is lying vacant since 2014.
The Sena is staking claim to the post. The ruling alliance partner has also endorsed the candidature of Girkar.
