Surat West Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Purnesh Modi became the Deputy Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly on the first day of the Budget session. His candidacy was proposed by senior BJP leader Jitu Vaghani. The motion supporting Purnesh Modi was approved through a voice vote in the Assembly, where the BJP holds a majority.
The Congress nominated Shailesh Parmar for the position, with party MLA Dinesh Thakor proposing his name. Following the election, Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary officially announced Purnesh Modi’s victory. Gujarat Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rushikesh Patel then escorted Purnesh Modi to his designated seat next to the Leader of the Opposition.
During the proceedings, Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar emphasized that, as per parliamentary tradition, the Deputy Speaker role should be offered to an Opposition member. He criticized the BJP for allegedly deviating from established norms by leveraging its numerical advantage to secure the position. Parmar also raised concerns about the perceived lack of Opposition representation in crucial committees in Gujarat.
After his election, Purnesh Modi expressed gratitude to several prominent figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, for their trust and support. Members of the ruling party cheered for Purnesh Modi post his victory announcement. The Aam Aadmi Party abstained from supporting either candidate, citing the anticipated outcome and a desire to prevent potential cross-voting within the Congress from influencing the result.
