Who Will Succeed as Deputy Speaker in Gujarat Assembly?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Gandhinagar, Feb 13 (NationPress) The Gujarat Legislative Assembly is set to conduct an election for the position of deputy speaker on February 16. Nominations have been submitted by Purnesh Modi from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shailesh Parmar from the Congress party on Friday.
This vacancy arose after the resignation of former deputy speaker Jetha Ahir (Bharwad), who cited other commitments.
Purnesh Modi, the MLA for Surat West and a former state minister, filed his nomination at the Assembly Secretariat, accompanied by Minister Rushikesh Patel.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and members of the Business Advisory Committee were also in attendance during the nomination.
The BJP has officially nominated Modi for this role. He has previously served as a cabinet minister, overseeing departments like Roads, Buildings, and Civil Aviation.
The party highlighted his legislative experience, organizational presence in South Gujarat, and familiarity with Assembly procedures as reasons for his nomination.
Jitu Vaghani, speaking during the nomination process, stated, “Purnesh Modi is a capable leader with a proven track record. His nomination followed discussions with national leadership, the Chief Minister, and the Deputy Chief Minister.”
The Congress party confirmed that Shailesh Parmar, the MLA for Danilimda, will contest in the deputy speaker election.
Congress MLA Imran Khedawala informed IANS, “Shailesh Parmar is a competent leader, and he submitted his nomination today. I was present to support him, and the Congress backs him.”
According to Assembly regulations, those proposing candidates must submit the required motion and notice to the Assembly Secretary in accordance with Rule 10(2) and must provide a written statement from the proposed candidate confirming their willingness to serve as Deputy Speaker if elected.
As stipulated in the rules, a member cannot propose or second their own name, nor can they support more than one candidate. Members have been reminded to adhere to these provisions closely while submitting nominations.
The deputy speaker plays a crucial role in presiding over Assembly proceedings in the absence of the Speaker, maintaining order, and overseeing legislative activities.