Who is Rahul Narwekar, BJP’s candidate for Maharashtra assembly speaker?

A day after the formation of a new government in Maharashtra, BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar on Friday filed nomination for the assembly speaker’s election, slated for July 3.

In January, the BJP had appointed Narwekar, the sitting MLA from Colaba, as its media in-charge.

Here's all you need to know about Narwekar:

Narwekar is the son-in-law of senior NCP leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar. His father, Suresh Narwekar, was a municipal councillor from Mumbai, and his brother Makarand is a second-term municipal councillor from Ward No 227. His sister-in-law, Harshata, is a councillor from Ward No 226.

Earlier, Narwekar was a member of the Shiv Sena, which he left after the party denied him a ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. He joined the Nationalist Congress Party and contested the general election from Maval, which he lost.

On Thursday, in a political twist in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde was sworn in as chief minister, while the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as his deputy.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office to them at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai shortly after 7.30pm.

Shinde began by paying tributes to late Shiv Sena leaders Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe. His supporters shouted slogans hailing Thackeray and Dighe as he finished taking the oath.

Earlier in the day, BJP president JP Nadda said Fadnavis would be part of the new cabinet led by Shinde, minutes after Fadnavis announced he will not be in the government.

Fadnavis had sprang a surprise when he announced that Shinde would be the next chief minister. His announcement defied expectations that he would return to the post with the support of the Shinde faction.

"Development of the state is my priority. I will take all sections of society along with me," Shinde said after the ceremony.