Oppn may not press admission of no-trust notice against Maha

The Congress and the NCP are unlikely to press the admission of a notice they had filed earlier this month to bring a no-confidence motion against Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde.

According to sources, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patilmay speak on the notice in the House tomorrow but won't press for its admission.

However, the sources didn't disclose the reasons behind the likely stand on the issue.

The ongoing Budget session of the state legislature would end on March 28.

The opposition parties submitted the notice against Bagde with the Legislature Secretariat on March 5 claiming that he was biased in conducting proceedings of the House.

After the 14-day notice period ended on March 19, Opposition leaders sought to know when it would be read out in the House. They also sought to know the date for a debate in the Assembly on the notice.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said a decision regarding the notice would be taken at an appropriate time.

Citing legislature rule book, he said the notice should be read out by the speaker as soon as possible after the end of the notice period.

However, last Friday, Fadnavis took the Opposition by surprise by bringing a confidence motion in favour of the speaker and got it passed by a voice vote in the 288-member Assembly with the help of the Shiv Sena.

The move was condemned by the Opposition members. However, Fadnavis justified the trust motion saying it was as per norms.

Earlier today, the House was adjourned thrice over the issue.