The Mahayuti coalition is eyeing an eight-seat majority in the forthcoming Maharashtra legislative council election, scheduled for May 12. This leaves the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) scrambling for the lone seat to be vacated by former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) boss Uddhav Thackeray, whose tenure ends on Maty 13.
A bypoll for one seat will also be held on the same day, the Election Commission said on Thursday.
According to sources, Congress leader Harshwardhan Sapkal has said that his party – part of the MVA – will only support the coalition’s candidate if it is Uddhav Thackeray himself. Else, they might reconsider. He made the demand citing NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha as an Opposition MVA candidate recently despite Congress’s wish to contest that election.
If Uddhav Thackeray opts out, Shiv Sena (UBT) might field Ambadas Danve, Sushma Andhare, Vinayak Raut, Rajan Vichare, Vaibhav Naik or Suraj Chavan. Meanwhile, potential Congress names include Sapkal, Balasaheb Thorat, Sachin Sawant, Rajesh Rathod and Muzafar Hussein.
On the Mahayuti side, the BJP will claim six of eight seats. Of the remaining two, each will go to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
The BJP will favour loyal party workers such as Keshav Upadhye, Madhavi Naik, Ranjit Singh Nimbalkar, Ram Satpute, Sandeep Joshi, Dadarao Keche and Sanjay Kenekar coming. For Shindes Sena, Neelam Gorhe’s name is almost certain with Manisha Kayande, Shaina NC, Sheetal Mhatre vying for the spot. Ajit Pawar’s NCP list features Amol Mitkari, Anand Paranjpe, Sameer Bhujbal, Suraj Chavan, Umesh Patil and Aniket Tatkare.
While a consensus candidate could lead to an unopposed election, interestingly, the BJP might field a ninth candidate through Ajit Pawar’s faction to challenge the MVA, potentially eyeing votes from Sharad Pawar’s camp, sources said.
Besides Uddhav Thackeray, eight other retiring members are legislative council chairperson Neelam Diwakar Gorhe (Shiv Sena), Sanjay Kishanrao Kenekar (BJP), Sandeep Diwakar Joshi (BJP), Dadarao Yadavrao Keche (BJP), Ranjitsinh Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil (BJP), Amol Ramkrushna Mitkari (NCP), Rajesh Dhondiram Rathod (Congress) and Shashikant Jaywantrao Shinde (NCP-SP).
The nine seats will go to polls as part of the regular biennial election, while a separate bypoll will take place for the vacancy caused by Congress leader Pradnya Satav’s resignation. He joined the BJP and his tenure was originally due to end on July 27, 2030.
The Election Commission said separate voting processes will be followed for the nine seats and the bypoll seat, requiring MLAs to cast their votes twice on the same day. The quota for winning a seat in the biennial poll has been set at 29 votes, while the by-election will require 144 votes.
(With inputs from PTI)
