The Bharatiya Janata Party (Bharatiya Janata Party) will contest four of the nine seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections, party sources told news agency PTI on Wednesday.
Sources in the party told PTI that the state BJP core committee, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, met on Wednesday night to finalise its strategy for the elections as well as a bypoll to one council seat that fell vacant after Congress leader Pradnya Satav resigned and joined the BJP.
“The BJP will contest four of the nine seats and also field a candidate in the bypoll. The names of probable candidates were discussed, and shortlisted names will be sent to the central leadership for approval,” a source told PTI.
Nine members of the Legislative Council, including former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, are scheduled to retire on May 13.
According to the Election Commission of India (Election Commission of India), polling will be held on May 12, with counting of votes the same day at 5 pm. The entire process is expected to be completed by May 13.
Members of the Legislative Assembly will form the electoral college for the biennial polls. Sources told PTI that, given its current strength, the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, is likely to secure up to nine of the 10 seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) may win one seat.
The quota for winning a seat has been fixed at 29 votes, while the bypoll seat will require 144 votes. However, sources said that if newly elected MLAs from Baramati and Rahuri—where bypolls are being held on April 23, become eligible voters, the quota may rise to 145 for the bypoll.
As per the schedule, notification will be issued on April 23, nominations will close on April 30, scrutiny will take place on May 2, and withdrawal of candidature will end on May 4.
(With PTI inputs)