Gandhinagar, Feb 13 The Gujarat Legislative Assembly will hold an election for the deputy speaker post on February 16, with Purnesh Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shailesh Parmar of the Congress party submitting their nominations on Friday.
The post became vacant following the resignation of former deputy speaker Jetha Ahir (Bharwad), citing preoccupation with other responsibilities.
Purnesh Modi, Surat West MLA and former state minister, filed his nomination at the Assembly Secretariat in the presence of Minister Rushikesh Patel.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and members of the Business Advisory Committee were also present during the process.
The BJP has officially endorsed Modi as its candidate. Modi has previously served as a cabinet minister, managing departments including Roads, Buildings, and Civil Aviation.
The party cited his experience with legislative procedures, organisational presence in South Gujarat, and knowledge of Assembly rules as reasons for his nomination.
Jitu Vaghani, speaking at the nomination process, said, “Purnesh Modi is a capable leader with a clear record of work. His nomination followed consultations with the national leadership, the Chief Minister, and the Deputy Chief Minister.”
Congress has confirmed that Danilimda MLA Shailesh Parmar will contest the deputy speaker election.
Congress MLA Imran Khedawala told IANS, “Shailesh Parmar is a capable leader, and today he filled the form for the deputy speaker post. I accompanied him in this process, and Congress supports him.”
According to Assembly rules, members wishing to propose a candidate must submit the prescribed motion and notice to the Assembly Secretary in line with Rule 10(2), and must include a written statement from the proposed candidate confirming willingness to serve as Deputy Speaker if elected.
As per the rules, a member cannot propose or second their own name, nor can they propose or support more than one candidate. The members have been urged to follow these provisions carefully while submitting nominations.
The deputy speaker presides over Assembly proceedings in the absence of the Speaker, maintains order, and oversees legislative processes.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor