Senior BJP leader and MLA Kalidas Kolambkar was appointed the pro-tem speaker of Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
The governor administered oath to Kolambkar who, in turn, will administer oath to the remaining 287 MLAs during the assembly session.
Maharashtra: BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar takes oath as Protem Speaker, at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai. Oath administered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari pic.twitter.com/mSYjRXgmQk
— ANI (@ANI) November 26, 2019
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had ordered that a floor test be held on Wednesday and asked the governor to appoint a pro-tem speaker.
However, hours after the top court order, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar submitted their resignations.
An eight-time MLA from Wadala, Kolambkar was one of the candidates recommended for the post to the governor.
"With the grace of God, I believe that everything will be okay. No name has been finalised till now. Yes, I take responsibility, if the party agrees to it. I can do the batting," Kolambkar told news agency ANI earlier.
The political conundrum in Maharashtra had taken a dramatic turn on Saturday morning when the BJP formed a government in the state with the help of NCP rebel leader Ajit Pawar even as the NCP, the Shiv Sena and the Congress were holding hectic parleys to form a coalition government in the state.
