Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who support Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening on the eve of a special two-day session of the state legislature which will see election for the post of Assembly Speaker as well as a floor test of the new government.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar claimed that Narhari Zirwal, the deputy Speaker, can still perform officiating Speaker’s duties even though a no-confidence motion is pending against him.
The post of Speaker is vacant since last year.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi has pitted Shiv Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi as the candidate for the Speaker’s election, which will be held today.
He will face off with first-time Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Rahul Narvekar who also filed his nomination.
On July 4, newly sworn-in Chief Minister Shinde will take a floor test.
As many as 50 MLAs who support Shinde, including 39 rebel legislators of the Shiv Sena, on Saturday evening flew to Mumbai from Goa by a chartered flight.
Shinde, who had flown to Goa in the morning, accompanied them back.