Ulhas Asnodkar is new Goa Dy Speaker

PANAJI, DECECEMBER 30: Ulhas Asnodkar was today elected deputy speaker of Goa’s Legislative Assembly unopposed after the nomination of Rabu Azgaonkar, the Congress party’s candidate for the post, was declared invalid. Asnodkar belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party which is part of the Goa Democratic Alliance Government led by Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha.

Speaker of the Goa Assembly Pratapsinh Rane justified the rejection of Azgaonkar’s nomination on the grounds that it was received at 12.35 pm on Wednesday, more than half-an-hour after the expiry of the deadline for filing nominations. However, Azgaonkar and Congress Leader of the Opposition Ravi Naik pointed out that the nomination was filed five minutes before the expiry of the mid-day deadline.

Attempts by the Congress MLAs to move a point of order was rejected by the Speaker. Even as the legislators from the Treasury benches cheered him on Rane told the Opposition MLAs that as per the rules the election process was completed and called the members to present their congratulatory statements. At this, the Opposition legislators staged a walk-out.

The Deputy Speaker’s post fell vacant in November, when the then incumbent Alexio Sequiera resigned to join hands with Congress rebels led by Francisco Sardinha. Subsequently, when Sardinha managed to topple the Luizinho Faleiro Government, Sequiera was rewarded with the Industries Ministry.