Shiv Sena wants Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker's post

The Shiv Sena, which has a minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet, Thursday said it has sought the post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said the demand has been conveyed to the BJP.

"The party has demanded deputy Speaker's post. We have conveyed our demand to the BJP," Raut told PTI.

Raut said Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and all the 18 Lok Sabha MPs of the party will visit Ayodhya next week, before the start of the Parliament's session.

The purpose of the visit is to reaffirm the party's commitment to construction of Ram temple at the disputed site, Raut said.

Thackeray had visited Ayodhya in November 2018 too, in an apparent bid to mount pressure on the Modi-led government on the Ram temple issue.

The ties between the Sena and the BJP were under considerable strain before the Lok Sabha 2019 elections.

The two parties, however, stitched up an alliance for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls later.

Arvind Sawant, MP from Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, the lone Sena minister in the Modi government, handling the heavy industries and public enterprises portfolio.