Mumbai: NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) MLA from Pimpri Assembly, Anna Bansode, has been elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. However, just two days after his appointment, the Bombay High Court has summoned Bansode, as a petition challenging his MLA status has been filed. This has sparked discussions in political circles about the threat to Anna Bansode’s membership. As a result, Deputy Speaker Anna Bansode will have to appear before the court on Wednesday, April 2. The petition challenging Bansode’s election has been filed in the Bombay High Court by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate Sulakshana Sheelwant-Dhar.
Bansode has been accused of violating election rules during the Assembly elections. In this regard, MVA candidate Sulakshana Sheelwant-Dhar has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court. The case was heard by a single bench of Justice Gauri Godse, after which the court ordered Bansode to appear on Wednesday. This has led to speculation that his MLA position is now at risk. The timing of this petition, just two days after Bansode’s unopposed election as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, has created a stir in political circles.
Anna Bansode, a three-time elected MLA from the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), is known as a staunch supporter of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. After his third consecutive victory, Bansode had hoped for a ministerial position. However, due to the limited number of ministerial posts in the Mahayuti government, he was not accommodated in the cabinet. Instead, Ajit Pawar offered him the position of Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and other key committee roles, further strengthening his influence within the party.
