BJP's Rahul Narvekar elected Maharashtra Assembly Speaker

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Rahul Narvekar has been elected Maharashtra Assembly Speaker on Sunday.

First-time BJP legislator and Colaba MLA Narvekar pipped Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi, who was the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine for the Speaker's election. Narvekar, Shinde faction and BJP candidate got 164 votes while Salvi got 107 votes.

Narhari Zirwal Deputy Speaker said the Shinde faction voted against the party whip and the same has been recorded.


Eknath Shinde along with his faction of MLAs on Saturday reached Mumbai from Goa where the rebel Shiv Sena legislators were camping after returning from Assam.

This comes after Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday expelled Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the party for indulging in "anti-party activities".

"In exercise of powers vested in me as Shiv Sena party president, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation," Thackeray wrote in a letter addressed to the Maharashtra CM, who had led a faction of rebel Sena MLAs.

Shinde, who took oath as the chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday, will have to prove his majority in the state Assembly. The two-day special session of the 288-member House got underway Sunday at 11 am. The Shinde-led government will face floor test in the Assembly on Monday.