A day after 12 suspended MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrote to the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly seeking to lift their suspension, Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis asked the State government to decide on the matter before the election of the Assembly Speaker scheduled for December 28.
According to the letters sent by the MLAs, out of the total of one year of suspension, five months have already been served. The letters stated that an unconditional apology had already been furnished on behalf of the Opposition and continued suspension would deprive the respective constituencies of their deserved representation.
Mr. Fadnavis, while speaking in the Assembly, said that the suspended MLAs had already approached the Supreme Court, which in its order had directed them to approach the House and consider the issue appropriately. “The House is set to elect new Speaker on December 28. Before that, a decision on the application made by MLAs should be taken,” he said.
The State Assembly presently has no Speaker as its previous Speaker, Nana Patole, resigned in February and went on to become the president of the State unit of the Congress party.
Twelve MLAs of the BJP were suspended in the previous Budget session of the State legislature following heated altercations between the Members of the Opposition party and the Presiding Officer. The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alleged that these members misbehaved and abused the Presiding Officer.
