MUMBAI: None of the Congress ministers are willing to take up the post of Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. Reason? To be eligible for the post, one has to step down as minister. Election for Speaker in scheduled for December 28.
Taking note of this, Rahul Gandhi has sought a list of Maharashtra ministers. It has been learnt that he will choose one and make him the Speaker candidate.
After Nana Patole resigned as Speaker and became state head of Congress last year, the post is vacant. Congress has to nominate the candidate for the Speaker’s post. Congress has 10 cabinet ministers and two ministers of state in the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition.
“No one wants to step down as minister and become the Speaker,” said a Congress source requesting anonymity. He added that these ministers were pushing the names of former CM Prithviraj Chavan and MLA Sangram Thopate.
“Our Delhi leadership is reluctant to go ahead with these names. Rahul Gandhi has decided to take it up address the issue amicably."
Maharashtra Congress president Patole said it is the high command’s prerogative to decide the candidate.