Most of them, who have been elected for the first time, are looking forward to the proceedings; the oldest MLA is 87 and the youngest 26
Almost half of the legislators in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will soon make their maiden foray in the House and are raring to participate in the proceedings.
Of them, 148 are aged below 50, making the 13th Vidhan Sabha, a young and energetic house, while 54 have not yet crossed 40. The average age of the present assembly stands at 49.2 years, nearly similar to 2009 and 2004 assembly, say Election Commission statistics.
While four MLAs in the present house are aged below 30, 26-year-old Rahul Jagtap, NCP MLA from Shrigonda constituency, Ahmednagar district, is the youngest. He is followed by Risod MLA Ameet Zanak (INC) and Aheri MLA Amberish Atram (BJP), both 28.
The oldest member is Peasant and Workers Party MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh, 87, who was elected from Sangole constituency for the record 10th time. He was the oldest member in the previous assembly too. Deshmukh said he is looking forward to guiding the young members, something he has been doing for years.
Jagtap defeated former NCP stalwart and sitting MLA Pachpute by a whopping 99,281 votes. Interestingly, Pachpute contested on a BJP ticket this time after defecting from NCP. Jagtap too switched to NCP from Congress days before the election.
"I have visited Vidhan Bhawan twice in the past, but entry as a member of the legislature will certainly be special," said Jagtap who, like other first-timers, is preparing doubly hard to compensate for the lack of experience so as not to give "seniors" any chance to bully him.
"Pachpute did nothing in the past 35 years. We don't even have basic facilities like water and roads, which he promised every election. He couldn't bring MIDC into the area, which could have generated jobs for the youths. I have all questions that I want to raise in the House ready with me," he said, adding that he will fulfil 70% of the promises despite not being in the government.
He said he prepared for the polls for two years, working through his youth organisation, which has 10,000 members and a cooperative sugar factory of which he is chairman. Leading various agitations for water, power and roads made him a hero in the area. The election affidavit says Jagtap is a farmer who has a BA degree and assets worth Rs3.8 crore and is facing five criminal cases. Jagtap, however, claimed the charges were made when he led agitations.
Among 20 women members, Congress MLA Praniti Shinde, 33, who got elected from Solapur city, is the youngest, followed by Pankaja Munde, 35. Charkop MLA (NCP) Sandhyadevi Desai, 65, is the oldest.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}