Gandhinagar: Former Gujarat Minister Ramanlal Vora today filed his nomination papers for the post of speaker of the Gujarat Assembly as the candidate of BJP while Shambhuji Thakor submitted his papers as the nominee for Deputy speaker’s post of the ruling party.

While Mr. Vora’s election will be unanimous as his name proposed by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was supported by leader of opposition Shankersinh Vaghela but Mr Thakor may have to face election as Congress’s women member from Garbada seat Mrs Chandrikben Bariya also filing nomination for the deputy speaker’s post.

Secretary of the Gujarat Assembly D M Patel, who received the nomination papers today, said that South Gandhinagar MLA Mr Thakor’s name for the deputy speaker post was proposed by deputy chief minister Nitin Patel while Mrs Bariya’s name was proposed by congress MLA Mahendrasinh Baraiya.

The formal announcement of the election of speaker and deputy speaker will be done on on the first day of the coming two days monsoon session of the assembly from August 22, he said adding that if Congress withdraws from the race or else don’t move a motion for the election of deputy speaker, the BJP candidate will get through for this post also without facing elections.

However even in case of election BJP is certain to sail through as it has an overwhelming majority with 121 MLAs in 182 member assembly.

Newly appointed BJP state president Jeetu Vaghani was also present on the occasion of the filing of nomination by Mr Vora and Mr Thakor.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel today said that ruling BJP has fielded a Dalit leader who was minister for several terms as the speaker’s post while an OBC candidate for deputy speaker’s post.

To a query regarding main opposition Congress party’s objection to BJP’s fielding candidate for deputy speaker’s post despite its open support to speaker’s candidate of the ruling party, Mr Patel said that it was a tradition in Gujarat for the BJP to hold both the posts in the assembly.

Mr Vora,on the other hand, thanked Congress for its support and said that the post of speaker was above party and he would perform his duties with all the dignity.

The former Speaker Ganpat Vasava and deputy speaker Atmaram Parmar both had resigned from their posts following change of guard in the state earlier this month and have been inducted in Vijay Rupani government as cabinet rank ministers.

Mr Parmar has got the charge of Mr. Vora’s former department social justice and empowerment.

In the two day monsoon session, the first day’s proceedings would be suspended for the day after election of speaker and deputy speaker with the house expressing mourning for the death of Pramukh Swami of BAPS and other sitting or former MLA’s who have passed since the last session and passing a special motion to mourn the death of the saint.

On the second day the constitutional amendment bill regarding GST would be tabled and passed and other business would be conducted, Mr Nitin Patel informed.

DeshGujarat