Balasaheb Thorat, the Congress Legislature Party leader in Maharashtra, on Saturday announced that the party's candidate for the post of speaker is Nana Patole.
According to the framework agreed by the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP—which are ruling the state— the Congress would get the post of speaker while the NCP would get the deputy chief minister's post.
The nomination of Patole marks the likely return to centre-stage of a politician who left the Congress to join the BJP at the height of the 'Modi wave' before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Born in a farmer's family, Patole had won three consecutive elections to the Maharashtra Assembly with the Congress since 1999 and had even been the Congress party's deputy legislature party leader.
Patole won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket from Bhandara-Gondiya constituency, dealing a shock defeat to NCP leader and then Union minister Praful Patel by over 1.5 lakh votes.
Patole had won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls by campaigning on disenchantment among farmers against the UPA government of the Congress. However, Patole was soon critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, accusing them of ignoring farmers.
In January 2018, Patole told THE WEEK, "Modi showed Hitler-like tendencies when I presented issues concerning other backward communities and farmers at a meeting" By then, Patole had launched a public 'journey of repentance' from Sindkhed Raja in Buldhana district to Sakoli in Bhandara district to highlight issues of OBCs and farmers even as he vowed to bring down the BJP-led governments at the Centre and state.
Patole had even accused Modi of 'faking' his OBC status.
Patole resigned from the BJP in December 2017 and rejoined the Congress a month later.
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Patole contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls against BJP heavyweight Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur. However, Gadkari trounced him in the Lok Sabha polls as the BJP swept Maharashtra in alliance with the Shiv Sena.
Patole was the chief of the Congress campaign committee for the recent Assembly polls. He also won the polls from Sakoli constituency.
The BJP has nominated Kisan Kathore as its candidate for the speaker's post. The new speaker is expected to be elected by Saturday evening or on Sunday.
