India, March 25 -- The election to the post of deputy speaker in the Maharashtra assembly will be held on March 26, speaker Rahul Narwekar announced on Monday. The post has been vacant since the Mahayuti alliance government returned to power late last year.

Narwekar said nominations for the post must be filed by 12 pm on Tuesday, and scrutiny will be conducted the same day. Candidates can withdraw their nominations latest by 11 am on Wednesday, the day of polling.

In the assembly elections last year, the ruling alliance won an unprecedented majority - 235 seats in the 288-member house. The deputy speaker's post is likely to go to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar. The NCP is considering two names - Rajkumar Badole a...