MUMBAI: Veteran Congress leader Shivajirao Deshmukh on Monday became the first Chairman of the Maharashta Legislative Council(LC), established in 1937, to be removed by a no confidence motion. And the NCP move for Deshmukh’s ouster succeeded after the 12 BJP members on the Council voted in favour of the motion.
Aided by the saffron party, besides that of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (one), Shiv Sangram (one), Peasants and Workers Party (one) and three independents, the NCP motion to remove Deshmukh was passed by the Council by a majority of 45 votes.
The Shiv Sena, which has seven members, and two independents abstained from voting. The Congress members (21) and two independents voted against the motion. Deputy Chairman Vasant Davkhare of the NCP did not vote as he was in the chair.
The NCP is likely to field Ramraje Nimbalkar, who hails from a royal family of Phaltan, for the Chairman’s post. The BJP may get the post of Deputy Chairman in
lieu of its support to the NCP. Senior BJP leader Pandurang Phundkar or Shobha Fadnavis, aunt of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will be in the fray.
Earlier, the Council witnessed unprecedented scenes with regard to the no confidence motion against Deshmukh. The ruling partners, the Shiv Sena and the BJP took potshots at each other and the former allies, the Congress and the NCP tried to portray each other in unflatteing light.
Shiv Sena’s Ramdas Kadam, who contended that the motion was illegal, said that his party did not know how the BJP and the NCP came together. “Everything had become clear when Narendra Modi had revealed that he took advice from Sharad Pawar on a regular basis. Maharashtra will soon see who is kissing whom and whose chicks have turned red,” Kadam said.
BJP’s Girish Bapat countered Kadam’s allegations. “No one should be allowed to hurt anyone’s sentiments. Kadam is not aware of what is happening in his own party so I am not amused at his conclusion that we and the NCP are together,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress’ Manikrao Thakre alleged the NCP wanted Deshmukh to be voted out because it had set its eyes on the Chairman’s chair and his red beacon car. “Our friend (the NCP) had levelled more allegations against the RSS than us. Now, they should announce that they have an alliance with the BJP,” he said.
NCP’s Sunil Tatkare argued that the NCP wanted the post because it was the single largest party in the Upper House. “Why should a person who is in the August of his life stick to the chair when his party does have lesser numbers than us? If Deshmukh had resigned we would not have moved the motion,” Tatkare said.
NCP’s Ajit Pawar claimed that his party did not have any tacit understanding with the BJP. “We had brought the motion against our wish. It can’t be said that we are going closer to the BJP just because they supported us on one motion,” he argued.
BJP minister Eknath Khadse said his party supported the NCP because it wanted to make Maharashtra free from the Congress.
Message to Sena
“We will not allow the Shiv Sena to dictate terms to us. It is a matter of nurturing their ego. We will definitely not do it. Even if the Shiv Sena steps out of the government on certain issues we will run it with the NCP’s outside support,” a senior BJP Minister said.