Mumbai: As Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray concluded a meeting with top alliance leaders, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar among others, the rebel MLAs of the Eknath Shinde camp held a meeting of their own with an agenda to strip Maharashtra Assembly Deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal, ANI reported quoting sources. Narhari Zirwal is an NCP leader who is known to be a close confidant of Sharad Pawar. It was believed that Zirwal could be a trouble for the rebel group during the floor tests owing to his loyalties to the NCP-Shiv Sena alliance.


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“In a meeting of Shiv Sena's rebel MLAs, they have planned to take a resolution to oust Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal. Action is being taken to prepare for the Motion with the signature of 46 MLAs of the rebel group,” news agency ANI tweeted quoting sources.


This comes after two pro-BJP independent legislators in Maharashtra on Friday objected to Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal's approval of the appointment of Shiv Sena MLA Ajay Chaudhary as the party's new group leader in the House.


Independent legislators - Yogesh Baldi and Vinod Agrawal - have made this demand.


Speaking to reporters here, Baldi said, "The deputy speaker cannot take such a decision as it is the prerogative of the assembly speaker. We will soon initiate legal steps regarding the same."


However, former principal secretary to Vidhan Bhavan, Dr Anant Kalse, said, "Article 180 of the Constitution has clearly stated that the deputy speaker of the legislative assembly can take decisions if the post of the speaker is vacant. I am not sure the demand of these independents can stand in the court."


The post of the state assembly speaker has been lying vacant since February 2021 when Congress leader Nana Patole was appointed as the party's state unit chief.


Zirwal has approved the appointment of Ajay Chaudhary in place of Eknath Shinde.