Maharashtra: MVA fields Sena MLA Rajan Salvi against BJP's Rahul Narwekar for Assembly's Speaker post

On Friday morning, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) fielded Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi for the Maharashtra Assembly's Speaker post. He will be contesting against BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar.

The deadline to submit an application for the Assembly's Speaker post was today at 12 noon. The two-day special session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held on July 3, Sunday and July 4, Monday.

The Speaker will be elected in this session and the election will take place in the House on Sunday.

Speaking to the media after filing the nomination, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said, "We have filed the nomination of Shiv Sena MLA Rajan Salvi. Congress had the first claim but we sat down with Shiv Sena and NCP and this decision was taken together."

On Friday night, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray removed Shinde from the party, informing him about it via a letter. "You have been indulging in anti-party activities and have also voluntarily given up your membership of Shiv Sena. Therefore, in exercise of the powers vested in me as the Shiv Sena Paksha Pramukha, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation," Uddhav Thackeray said in the letter.

Reportedly, the CM will chair a meeting of the rebel Sena MLAs at 11 am today. After the meeting, Shinde camp spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar is set to address the media.

Shinde has reached Goa for the meeting, however, he prepares to return to Mumbai before Speaker's election.