Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 17: The powers of Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Sachin Ahir and Assembly Deputy Speaker Anna Bansode have reportedly been curtailed following a change in the rules governing entry into the state legislature building when the House is not in session.

A few months ago, Ahir left the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Shinde subsequently appointed him Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council, a move that was widely publicised. Ahir was the first MLA to join the Shinde-led Shiv Sena after six MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction switched sides, according to the report.

However, the latest administrative decision has reduced the authority of Ahir and Bansode over visitor access to the legislature building.

For several years, visitors, government officials and members of the public were permitted to enter the building when the legislature was not in session with the approval of the offices of the Deputy Chairperson and Deputy Speaker.

Under the revised rules, which came into effect on September 3, permission from an authorised official in the offices of the Legislative Council Chairperson and the Assembly Speaker has become mandatory for all visitors. The change has reportedly triggered friction among the presiding officers.

The Legislative Council is chaired by BJP leader Ram Shinde, while Rahul Narwekar, also from the BJP, is the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Ahir, from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, serves as Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council, while Bansode, from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, is the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

Bansode's office frequently hosts government meetings. According to the report, at least two official meetings are generally held in his chamber every day, except on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Ahir's chamber also receives a large number of visitors, partly because he represents the Worli constituency in Mumbai. He also has experience serving as a minister in the Maharashtra government.

With the revised rules transferring the authority to approve visitors to the offices of the Chairperson and Speaker, the role and influence of the Deputy Chairperson's and Deputy Speaker's offices in managing access to the legislature building have reportedly diminished.

The development has raised questions about the administrative authority of the deputy presiding officers, with the growing number of government meetings and restrictions on visitor access emerging as points of contention within the legislature.