Uddhav Thackeray floor test today; pro tem Speaker named

Mumbai: The Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra will face a floor test in the Assembly on Saturday — as decided at the alliance government’s first Cabinet meeting on Thursday night.

Senior NCP leader Dilip Walse-Patil was, meanwhile, appointed pro tem Speaker of the Assembly on Friday.

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis accused the government of trying to change the pro-tem speaker “illegally”. Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP were not confident about their majority, and so had kept their MLAs in five-star hotels.

Ambegaon MLA Patil, serving his seventh term as a legislator, replaced the BJP’s Kalidas Kolambkar, who was appointed as pro tem Speaker earlier when the MLAs were administered the oath.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said the new government had decided to stay the construction of the metro car shed project in the city’s green lung, Aarey Colony, after widespread protests last month over the cutting of trees there.

Speaking to reporters soon after formally taking charge as CM at the Mantralaya, Thackeray said not a single leaf will be cut until further notice.

It should be noted that the Sena had been at the forefront of opposing the car shed at Aarey. It had also proposed Kanjur-marg as a possible alternative site for the car shed.

The election of a full-fledged Assembly Speaker is likely to be held on Sunday, but the Congress has still not decided the name of its candidate.

As per the agreement between the three parties, the deputy chief minister’s post was given to the NCP and the Speaker’s post went to the Congress.

“We are expecting names from the Congress by tomorrow (Saturday) morning as the forms for the election will have to be filled tomorrow itself. Once the names are finalised by the Congress leadership in Delhi, one of them will be chosen as the MVA’s official candidate. We have already completed the rest of the formalities and only the candidate’s name remains to be written on the form,” NCP leader Ajit Pawar said.

Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attacked the new government, alleging that it preferred discussing proving a majority at its first Cabinet meeting rather than giving relief to farmers.

The former CM said the state wanted to know why the MVA was “scared” when it earlier claimed to have the numbers to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly.

“The new government preferred discreetly discussing how to prove its majority than giving help to farmers who are in trouble at its first Cabinet meeting. Why make claims of having numbers then,” Fadnavis asked on Twitter.

Thackeray held his first Cabinet meet on Thursday night, hours after being sworn in as CM. Along with him, six other ministers — two each from the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — were also sworn in.