As the Supreme Court ordered floor test on Wednesday in Maharashtra, a key question that arises from the situation who will be the Pro-Tem Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly?

Maharashtra will go for floor test on November 27, and all MLAs must take oath before 5pm till Wednesday administered by pro tem Speaker which will be videographed.

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The Governor BS Koshyari will be required to appoint and swear-in the Pro-Tem Speaker, who, in turn, will administer the oath of office to all the newly-elected MLAs of the 14th Legislative Assembly.

By established conventions, the senior most MLA is usually appointed a Pro-Tem Speaker, though there has been a departure in the past.

This time, the question is critical as the BJP and the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress are engaged in a bitter power struggle amid rival claims of support of majority MLAs, with both sides claiming 170 and 162 respectively, far beyond the total strength of the 288-member Assembly.

Three senior most MLAs of the BJP who could be the pro-tem speaker are – Haribhau Bagade, Babanrao Pachpute and Kalidas Kolambkar. Bagade has been a Speaker in the previous assembly.

According to news agency IANS sources, the BJP has submitted a list of 17 senior MLAs to the Raj Bhavan for the post of pro-tem speaker.

The list also includes the names of the Congress, the NCP and Shiv Sena MLAs. Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress is said to be the most senior with eight terms behind him. However, the Governor can appoint a pro-tem speaker at his own discretion.

The role of the pro-tem speaker is significant when it comes to deciding whose whip will run in the Assembly.

It may be recalled that in the 13th Vidhan Sabha, the senior most nine-time elected MLA Sangole (Solapur), Ganpatrao Deshmukh of the Peasants & Workers Party had declined the honour on health grounds.

Accordingly, the second senior most member, Jiva Pandu Gavit, a seven-time MLA of the CPI(M), was appointed Pro-Tem Speaker and conducted the oath of all the members.

This time (2019), however, Deshmukh (93), did not contest the polls, while Gavit lost the elections, leaving Thorat as the senior most legislator.

Since there has been a deviation in the past on this count, surprises are not altogether ruled out, given the current political situation.

(With IANS inputs)