The Opposition NCP had its way on Friday, as it ensured the re-election of its senior leader NCP leader Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar as the chairman of the Maharashtra legislative Council and senior party leader Dhanjay Munde as the leader of the Opposition in the Upper House.
Given that it is the single largest party in the State legislative Council with a strength of 27 members, the NCP was tipped to bag the Council chairman’s post. What made matter easy for the NCP is the fact that the Congress threw its weight behind its nominee. The ruling BJP and Shiv Sena also supported Nimbalkar’s candidature, resulting in his unanimous election as the chairman of the Upper House.
Senior Congress member Manikrao Thakre proposed Nimbalkar’s name for the chairman’s post, while NCP’s state president and member Sunil Tatkare second his name. House leader Chandrakant Patil of the BJP and senior Sena member Neelam Gorhe supported Nimbalkar’s candidature. Nimbalkar was elected unanimously.
A scion of erstwhile Phaltan dynasty in Satara district of western Maharashtra, Nimbalkar is an experienced legislator. He was a minister at various points in the previous Congress-NCP Government in the state.
Earlier, NCP’s senior leader and late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s nephew Dhananjay Munde was re-elected as the leader of the Opposition in the State Council.
The Congress was eyeing the loP’s post in the Upper House. In fact, it wanted its newly elected member and former chief minister Narayan Rane. However, the NCP outmanoeuvred the Congress in the loP race.