MUMBAI: The Congress and NCP (SP), partners in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), want Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray to be the joint alliance candidate for the Maharashtra legislative council elections, scheduled to be held on May 12.
Biennial elections will be held for 10 MLC seats. As per the strength of the parties in the assembly, the ruling MahaYuti is likely to win nine seats and MVA one. In the MahaYuti, the BJP will contest for six MLC seats as per its assembly numbers, the Shiv Sena will get two and NCP one.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal met Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree on Thursday to pitch the Sena (UBT) president as the sole MVA candidate for the one MLC seat. “Uddhav is the face of MVA in Maharashtra. We feel that he should accept the joint nomination of MVA for the May 12 biennial elections,” Sapkal said.
NCP (SP) Lok Sabha MP Supria Sule said they are in agreement that former chief minister Thackeray should get nominated as the MVA joint candidate for the MLC election. “Uddhav Thackeray is an experienced leader and MVA gets the benefit of his experience in the House. His presence in the state council is important.
We are supporting Uddhav’s candidature for the MLC election. We are hopeful that he will respond positively to our demand and represent his party and MVA in the state council,” Sule said. However, Uddhav has not yet clarified his stand.
Nine seats fell vacant in the upper house after the expiry of MLCs’ terms. Uddhav’s seat is one of them. Another seat fell vacant after MLC Pranya Satava resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP. A bypoll will be held for this seat.
As per the present assembly strength, a candidate needs at least 29 votes to win. For the bypoll, a candidate is required to get at least 51% of the total votes cast. MLAs are the voters for the MLC elections.
Maharashtra Congress legislative party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said they will welcome the decision to make Uddhav as the joint candidate of MVA for the solo MLC seat of the alliance.
“If Uddhav Thackeray has a different plan in his mind, then nominations for the MLC seat of MVA has to be discussed with the alliance partners, not in the media,” Wadettiwar said.
“In the Rajya Sabha polls, we supported Sharad Pawar for the unity of the MVA. In state legislative council election, we are in agreement to support Uddhav Thackeray,” he said.
Maha Cong chief meets Sena (UBT) president
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal met the Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree on Thursday. “Uddhav is the face of MVA in Maharashtra. We feel that he should accept the joint nomination of MVA for the May 12 biennial elections to the legislative council,” Sapkal said.