Samajwadi Party's Rebel MLA, Backed by BJP, Elected UP Assembly Deputy Speaker

Nitin Agarwal, a Samajwadi Party MLA, is yet to officially join the BJP.

SP MLA Nitin Agarwal files nomination on 17 October in presence of UP CM Yogi Adityanath.

(Photo: PTI)

BJP-backed Samajwadi Party rebel MLA Nitin Agarwal was elected deputy speaker of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Assembly on Monday, 18 October. According to PTI, Agarwal defeated the official Samjajwadi candidate, by 244 votes, thereby securing the deputy speaker position for himself.

A total of 368 votes were cast, out of which Agarwal garnered 304 votes, and Verma got 60. Four were declared invalid, reported PTI.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Nitin Agarwal filed his nomination on Sunday, 17 October, to be elected as deputy speaker of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Legislative Assembly with the support of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Agarwal, after filing his nomination, stated that he is yet to officially join the BJP.

The election for the post of deputy speaker was held on Monday – just months ahead of 2022 assembly polls.

Samajwadi Party Cries Foul

Earlier in the day, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the BJP, accusing it of trying to sabotage democracy in UP and alleged that the post traditionally should go to the opposition party.

SP candidate Verma also accused the ruling party of 'twisting' the parliamentary tradition. The SP had earlier requested the speaker of Assembly to disqualify the candidature of Agarwal, but the petition was later rejected, PTI reported.

Yadav said that there was no meeting held in regard to the nomination of deputy speaker and that the BJP made Agarwal its candidate when the assembly polls are nearing, PTI reported.

"Which party does the candidate put up by the BJP belong to? What can be expected of a government which inaugurates already inaugurated projects and lays the foundation stone of the projects for which the foundation stone has already been laid?"

Akhilesh Yadav, SP Party Chief

Background

Uttar Pradesh has got its first deputy speaker of Legislative Assembly nearly after a gap of 14 years.

Agarwal filed his nomination in presence of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Speaking to the media, Adityanath said that the BJP has followed all parliamentary traditions. Adding that the BJP supports Agarwal's candidature, he said that the post is generally reserved for the opposition but the SP was not able to provide a candidate in the last four years.

Agarwal's candidature was proposed by Congress MLA Rakesh Prata Singh, Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Anil Singh, Cabinet Minister Suresh Khanna, Ashutosh Tandon, and MLA Rajpal Verma, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)