Anna Bansode to be Maharashtra Assembly’s Deputy Speaker

Mumbai

Anna Bansode, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator from Pimpri, is set to become the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. He filed his nomination on Tuesday in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and senior ministers Chandrakant Patil and Uday Samant. Since no opposition candidate filed a nomination before the 12 pm deadline, Bansode’s election is confirmed.

Initially, the NCP considered Rajkumar Badola from Chimur for the position but ultimately chose Bansode. With the MahaYuti alliance holding 237 seats in the Assembly, his selection was a unanimous decision. He will officially assume office on Wednesday, coinciding with the final day of the budget session. Although Bansode was not given a ministerial post, Ajit Pawar personally backed his appointment, ensuring he will hold a ministerial rank. As part of the MahaYuti coalition agreement, the BJP and Shiv Sena supported the NCP’s claim to the Deputy Speaker’s post.

Bansode, a four-time MLA, was first elected in 2009 as an NCP candidate and won re-elections in 2014, 2019, and 2024. He sided with Ajit Pawar after the latter broke away from his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar to align with MahaYuti. His appointment is significant, especially with the upcoming Pimpri Chinchwad municipal elections approaching, as it strengthens NCP’s position in the region.