Purnesh Modi Elected Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly

PURNESH MODI, the BJP MLA from Surat West constituency who came to limelight in 2019 after filing a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Modi surname, was on Monday elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly. Modi was elected to the post after a proposal in that regard was put for voice vote in the House by Speaker Shankar Chaudhary on the first day of the budget session. The Opposition Congress fielded its senior member Shailesh Parmar for the post. In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, BJP has a majority of 162 seats. The Congress has 12 members. Modi’s name for the post was proposed by Cabinet Minister Jitu Vaghani and supported by BJP MLA from Kadi constituency, Rajendra Chavda. Parmar’s name was proposed by Congress MLA from Chanasma constituency Dinesh Thakor and supported by Jamalpur MLA Imran Khedawala. Following a voice vote, the proposal for Modi as Deputy Speaker was passed by majority. Modi has replaced Shehra MLA Jethabhai Ahir, who resigned from the post of Deputy Speaker last year, citing “preoccupation with other responsibilities”. He is a three-time MLA from Surat and a former minister in the state government. In 2019, Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on ‘Modi’ surname at a political rally in Karnataka. Gandhi was convicted in the case in 2023 by a trial court in Surat which led to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha then.