Patole set to be speaker of Maharashtra Assembly as BJP withdraws candidate

New Delhi: Congress leader Nana Patole is all set to become Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as BJP candidate Kisan Kathore withdrew his nomination on Sunday.

The deadline to withdraw the nomination was 10 am on Sunday.

The Congress on Saturday announced party MLA Patole as the candidate of the ruling Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP alliance for the election to state Assembly Speaker’s post, while the BJP named Kathore as its nominee.

Patole represents Sakoli Assembly segment in Vidarbha, while Kathore is from Murbad in Thane district. This is the fourth term as an MLA for both.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government passed the floor test in the state Assembly on Saturday.

Altogether 169 MLAs voted in favour of the motion of confidence after the BJP, which has 105 MLAs, staged a walkout before the head count began in the 288-member House.