<p>On a day of hectic political developments, veteran BJP leader Kalidas Kolambkar was on Tuesday appointed as the Pro Tem Speaker of the 14th Maharashtra Legislature Assembly.</p>.<p>The Vidhan Sabha has been convened at 8 am on Wednesday, when Kolambkar will administer the oath of office to the remaining 287 members.</p>.<p>Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath to Kolambkar at Raj Bhavan.</p>.<p>Kolambkar is a seven-term MLA and had been with the Shiv Sena and the Congress earlier and is now with the BJP.</p>.<p>Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta, Principal Secretary Law and Judiciary R P Ladda and Secretary Parliamentary Affairs and Vidhan Bhavan Rajendra Bhagwat were present.</p>.<p>The seniormost legislator, however, is MPCC President Balasaheb Thorat, who was elected the Congress Legislature Party on Tuesday.</p>.<p>For Thorat, it is his eight term.</p>.<p>"The seniormost member should be the Pro Tem Speaker," senior Congressman and former chief minister Ashok Chavan said.</p>.<p>In 2014, the 13th Vidhan Sabha, the seniormost member was Ganpatrao Deshmukh of Peasants and Workers Party, a nine-time MLA from Sangole in Solapur district.</p>.<p>However, because of health issues, he declined, so the next seniormost member Jiva Pandu Gavit, the seven-time CPM MLA conducted the oath of members.</p>.<p>In 2019 polls, Deshmukh, now 93, did not contest, while Gavit lost the elections form Kalvan.</p>.<p>The seven-term MLAs besides Kolambkar are rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse-Patil (both NCP), Babanrao Pachpute and Kalidas Kolambkar (both BJP) and K C Padvi (Congress).</p>.<p>Incidentally, Patil has replaced Pawar as NCP's legislature party leader.</p>.<p>The six-time MLAs are Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Haribhau Bagade (both BJP) and Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP and Hitendra Thakur of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.</p>.<p>In fact, Walse-Patil and Bagade have been former speakers of the 12th and 13th Assemblies, respectively.</p>
<p>On a day of hectic political developments, veteran BJP leader Kalidas Kolambkar was on Tuesday appointed as the Pro Tem Speaker of the 14th Maharashtra Legislature Assembly.</p>.<p>The Vidhan Sabha has been convened at 8 am on Wednesday, when Kolambkar will administer the oath of office to the remaining 287 members.</p>.<p>Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath to Kolambkar at Raj Bhavan.</p>.<p>Kolambkar is a seven-term MLA and had been with the Shiv Sena and the Congress earlier and is now with the BJP.</p>.<p>Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta, Principal Secretary Law and Judiciary R P Ladda and Secretary Parliamentary Affairs and Vidhan Bhavan Rajendra Bhagwat were present.</p>.<p>The seniormost legislator, however, is MPCC President Balasaheb Thorat, who was elected the Congress Legislature Party on Tuesday.</p>.<p>For Thorat, it is his eight term.</p>.<p>"The seniormost member should be the Pro Tem Speaker," senior Congressman and former chief minister Ashok Chavan said.</p>.<p>In 2014, the 13th Vidhan Sabha, the seniormost member was Ganpatrao Deshmukh of Peasants and Workers Party, a nine-time MLA from Sangole in Solapur district.</p>.<p>However, because of health issues, he declined, so the next seniormost member Jiva Pandu Gavit, the seven-time CPM MLA conducted the oath of members.</p>.<p>In 2019 polls, Deshmukh, now 93, did not contest, while Gavit lost the elections form Kalvan.</p>.<p>The seven-term MLAs besides Kolambkar are rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse-Patil (both NCP), Babanrao Pachpute and Kalidas Kolambkar (both BJP) and K C Padvi (Congress).</p>.<p>Incidentally, Patil has replaced Pawar as NCP's legislature party leader.</p>.<p>The six-time MLAs are Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Haribhau Bagade (both BJP) and Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP and Hitendra Thakur of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.</p>.<p>In fact, Walse-Patil and Bagade have been former speakers of the 12th and 13th Assemblies, respectively.</p>