Mumbai: As soon as the Election Commission (EC) declared the programme of the election for nine vacant seats in the legislative council, the Shiv Sena finalised their candidates for two seats of their quota.
Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chairperson of legislative council Dr Neelam Gorhe will be Sena’s candidates for council election.
Meanwhile, Congress has sent names of Sachin Sawant and Mohan Joshi as candidates to Delhi for final approval.
Thackeray was sworn in as CM in November 2019. Within six months, he has to become a member of the legislative council or assembly. Even after two recommendations from State cabinet to appoint Thackeray as a member of the council from governor’s quota, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari didn’t consider it. Now, the EC announced the programme for nine seats which became vacant on April 21. The members retired after their six-year tenure ended.
These nine members will be elected through voting of assembly members.
According to parties’ strength in the assembly, Shiv Sena can claim two seats and Congress and NCP will contest from two seats.
The BJP will contest from three seats as four members from BJP have retired. BJP can claim the fourth seat if it can get extra votes to meet the norm of expected votes, i.e. 29.
Congress is considering the candidature of Sawant and Joshi. Both retired Congress MLCs are not with Congress, so there is no chance of repeating the same members.
BJP has already decided to not to repeat the same faces, so chances are bright for veteran leaders Eknath Khadse, Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Pankaja Munde.
