BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday. Narwekar had submitted his nomination papers on Sunday, and his election was uncontested after the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) chose not to field a candidate.
The BJP leader, who served as the Speaker of the 14th Assembly for two and a half years, was re-elected from the Colaba assembly seat in Mumbai in the November 20 elections.
The Speaker's election will be followed by a floor test to demonstrate the new government's strength. Governor CP Radhakrishnan will then address a joint session of both Houses of the state legislature.
During his previous tenure as Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, Narwekar ruled that the party led by Eknath Shinde was the legitimate and "real Shiv Sena" following a split in the Bal Thackeray-founded party.
In the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly elections, the Mahayuti coalition put up a stunning show, winning over 230 of the 288 seats, while the MVA could collectively manage only 46 seats.