Dy Speaker’s post — Govt, Oppn gear up for trial of strength

“Certainly, it is the prerogative of the Speaker to declare the election programme. However, by and large, it is done with the consent of the ruling as well as Opposition party. There was delay in taking a decision since the Congress was shying away from the elections,” Rane said.

Following the announcement of poll programme by Speaker Arun Gujarathi, the ruling party and the Opposition have redoubled their efforts to embarrass each other.

While the Front is sure of its nominee’s victory, Rane and BJP leader Gopinath Munde claimed that their candidate will have a comfortable win. “They have already lost the Speaker’s election. I don’t think there is any change in the political situation now,” said a senior Congress minister.

The Sena-BJP alliance, having a strength of 125 in the House of 288, is solely banking on the discontented members among the Democratic Front alliance. “We will get good support in the Deputy Speaker’s election. We will certainly win the election owing to uneasiness in the front,” a senior Shiv Sena leader claimed.

Some NCP ministers feel that the front should concede the post to the Sena-BJP combine. “Before taking the decision, we will have to take stock of the discontent on the NCP as well as Congress, particularly in the Vidarbha region,” a senior NCP Minister said.

Earlier, the Lower House witnessed heated debate when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rohidas Patil failed to announce the election programme for the post of Deputy Speaker. Declaring the decisions taken at the Business Advisory Committee meeting, the minister failed to mention about the election for the Deputy Speaker’s post which has been lying vacant for a long time.