MUMBAI: The election for the post of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly speaker will be held in the first week of the budget session starting here early next month, state Congress president Nana Patole said on Wednesday.
Talking to reporters at Tilak Bhavan, the MPCC head office here, Patole said as daily coronavirus cases are declining in the state, the Congress, a constituent of the ruling MVA alliance, will be holding 'janta darbars' (a forum for addressing people's grievances) after March 10.
Congress ministers will tour districts across the state and hold 'janta darbars' to solve the problems of people, he said.
Janta darbars of ministers will also be organised at the state Congress head office in Mumbai, said Patole, who is also an MLA.
"After March 10, the work of the government and the party will be separated and it will be made more public-centric," he said.
A meeting was held at Tilak Bhavan on Wednesday of all Congress ministers, MLAs and candidates who contested Lok Sabha and Assembly elections previously on Congress ticket.
The meeting was presided over by Patole.
Former Union minister Pallam Raju was also present during the meeting.
A discussion was held regarding digital membership drive and the current political situation in the state, Patole said.
In December last year, the Maharashtra government deferred its decision to hold the election for the speaker's post to avoid a confrontation with the Governor.
Patole, however, said he doesn't think there will be any problem during the election.
"The election will be held in the first week of the budget session. Once the election programme is finalised, party leaders will announce the name of the candidate," he said.
The budget session of the state legislature will start from March 3.
The speaker's post is lying vacant since February last year after Patole, who was elected to the constitutional position in end-2019, resigned to take charge as the state Congress chief.
Patole asserted that no matter how much pressure the BJP government at the Centre tries to exert by "blackmailing" the opposition parties by using probe agencies like the ED, CBI, Income Tax, they cannot overthrow the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.
Patole said all the three MVA partners (Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP) will unitedly fight against the "oppressive" tactics of the Centre and not succumb to the pressures put by the central agencies.
On Tuesday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut alleged that the BJP was misusing the central agencies to topple the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in the state.