Maharashtra Governor Appoints BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar As Assembly Pro-tem Speaker

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ordered a floor test for the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra and asked Governor Koshyari to appoint a pro-tem speaker

Maharashtra Governor Appoints BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar As Assembly Pro-tem Speaker/ Photo: ANI

Mumbai: Hours after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar from deputy CM post, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday appointed BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar as pro-tem Speaker of the Assembly, at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai. Eight-time Wadala MLA Kolambkar was one of the candidates recommended for the post to the governor. "The governor has administered oath to Kolambkar as pro-tem speaker of the assembly. Kolambkar will administer oath to remaining 287 MLAs during the assembly session," said an official from Raj Bhavan. Koshyari has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday where floor test will be conducted after pro-tem speaker administers oath to the 288 newly-elected members, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying. The newly-elected members couldn't take oath even one month after the results of the assembly polls were announced, due to political up and downs in the state. The state remained under President's Rule for a period of 13 days between November 12 and November 23 in the wake of no political party able to form a government and the Assembly in suspended animation. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ordered a floor test for the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra and asked Governor Koshyari to appoint a pro-tem speaker and ensure all elected members of the House are sworn in on Wednesday. However, the BJP-led government, which was formed on the support of NCP leader Ajit Pawar on November 23, collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, after Pawar stepped down as deputy chief minister and Fadnavis as chief minister. The 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, on Monday submitted a letter claiming support of 162 MLAs to the governor. Fadnavis announced that he was stepping down as the BJP lost majority in view of Ajit Pawar resigning from his post. The NCP has announced that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would be the next chief minister of Maharashtra. (With inputs from PTI)