MUMBAI: The MahaYuti has struck down the ‘12:3:2 formula’ for the 17 seats of the biennial elections of the Maharashtra state legislative council’s local body.
The Election Commission of India has announced the MLC—local body election. While June 1 is the last date for the submission of the nomination, voting is scheduled on June 18 and counting on June 22. The elected members of the local bodies – District Panchayats – are eligible voters to cast their votes in this election.
The 17 local body constituencies that are going for the MLC election are Pune, Ahilyanagar, Thane, Jalgaon, Sangli-Satara, Nanded, Yavatmal, Solapur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Nashik, Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli, Amravati, Dharashiv-Latur-Beed, Parbhani-Hingoli, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – Jalna, and Nagpur (by-election).
Senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule met the deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, where they discussed the Mahayuti formula, under which the BJP will contest 12 seats, while Shiv Sena will contest three seats, and NCP will get two out of the total 17 seats. Mahayuti is confident of winning all MLC seats.
Sources said that Shiv Sena is not happy with this formula. “Shiv Sena wants four to five MLC seats, and the same demand was conveyed in the meeting that was held with the BJP leaders. However, the final decisions will be taken by the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, DCM Eknath Shinde, and DCM Sunetra Pawar,” said a source who requested anonymity.
There are many constituencies that have turned into flashpoints among the Mahayuti alliance partners. The BJP and the NCP both staked a claim over the Pune local body’s MLC seat. Meanwhile, the NCP and the Shiv Sena both have their sights set on the Raigad seat. Nasik is also among the creating an internal struggle. Political hopefuls have been making a beeline to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde & Sunetra Pawar to highlight their contributions as party leaders.
Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi—is struggling to home in on a candidate that could win seats against the MahaYuti.
