Dr. Neelam Gorhe Emerges as Leading Frontrunner for Re-appointment
MUMBAI: The election for the new Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Council has been officially scheduled for July 1, 2026. The announcement was made in the House today (June 29) by Legislative Council Speaker Ram Shinde. The election takes place during the ongoing three-week monsoon session of the state legislature, which commenced on June 22.
Dr. Neelam Gorhe, a veteran leader of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) and the former Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Council, has recently been elected unopposed to the Council. Following her re-election as a member, political circles strongly indicate that she is highly likely to be reinstated to the prestigious constitutional post.
Nominal Process and Deadlines
Council Speaker Ram Shinde stated that the position of Deputy Speaker currently lies vacant. Exercising the powers under Rule 7 of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Rules, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, has been fixed as the date for the election.
Members intending to nominate a candidate must submit their written proposals to Dr. Vilas Athawale, Secretary-3 of the Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat. The nominations must reach Office No. 903 on the 9th floor of Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai, by 12:00 PM on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Official nomination forms are being distributed to all members via the legislative postal service. The scrutiny of the received nomination papers will take place on June 30 at 1:00 PM, followed by the formal election process on July 1.
Political Alignments within the Ruling Alliance
The Deputy Speaker’s post fell vacant after Dr. Neelam Gorhe’s previous term as a Member of the Legislative Council concluded on May 13, 2025. The ruling Mahayuti alliance has traditionally balanced the distribution of key constitutional legislative positions among its constituent parties.
Currently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds both the Chairman’s post in the Legislative Council and the Speaker’s post in the Legislative Assembly. The Deputy Speaker’s position in the Legislative Assembly is held by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP – Ajit Pawar faction). Consequently, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has a natural claim over the Legislative Council’s Deputy Speaker’s post. Given her extensive past experience in the role and her recent unopposed re-election to the House, Dr. Gorhe remains the undisputed frontrunner for the seat.
