Will MVA's lone-seat chance run into Mahayuti wall in MLC polls?
Massive horse-trading had rocked legislative council elections in Maharashtra in 2022, with the MVA soon after losing power due to a coup in the Shiv Sena
The elections will find successors to these nine retiring members: former chief minister and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) president Uddhav Thackeray; legislative council deputy chairperson Dr Neelam Gorhe (Shiv Sena); the BJP’s Sanjay Kenekar, Sandeep Joshi, Dadarao Keche and Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil; Amol Mitkari (Nationalist Congress Party); Rajesh Rathod (Congress) and Shashikant Shinde of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
In addition, a 10th seat will see a by-election after the resignation of Congress MLC Dr Pradnya Satav. The widow of former MP and ex-Indian Youth Congress chief Rajeev Satav had quit the party and her post to join the BJP. Satav had been elected to the legislative council for a second term in 2024, and is expected to be renominated by the BJP.
The poll schedule was announced by the Election Commission (EC) on April 16. April 30 is the last date for filing nomination. Voting, if needed, will take place on May 12.
The Mahayuti’s bench strength in the 288-member legislative assembly suggests it can get its nominees elected in nine of the 10 legislative council seats. The Mahayuti has 237 members in the assembly (BJP 132, Shiv Sena 57, NCP 41, and some smaller parties and Independents).
The Opposition MVA has 48 MLAs: 20 from the Shiv Sena (UBT), 16 of the Congress, 10 from NCP (SCP), besides a member each of the CPI(M) and Peasants and Workers (PWP).
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has two MLAs, but while its state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has announced his party’s break-up with the MVA, the other legislator Rais Shaikh is seen as being close to the Opposition. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has one MLA.
Within the Mahayuti, the BJP is said to be eager to contest six seats, including that vacated by Satav, leaving two seats for Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and one for the NCP. Reports suggest Shinde may want a third seat, a demand the BJP finds unfavourable.
The MVA can get one nominee elected. But if the ruling combine fields a candidate, it may lead to a contest and push the MVA on the backfoot.
State legislative council elections take place by secret ballot, leaving the door open for horse-trading. Already, there is strong buzz about Shinde’s party allegedly wooing elected representatives from the Shiv Sena (UBT), starting with Lok Sabha MPs.
The MVA has other challenges too. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has pitched Uddhav’s name for the sole seat that may come its way, but some in the Opposition front note that his performance as a legislator has been below par, especially in taking on the Devendra Fadnavis government. Alternatively, the Shiv Sena (UBT) may choose former leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve, former MLA Vaibhav Naik or deputy leader Sushma Andhare.
The Congress is eager to secure that nomination, especially after NCP (SCP) president Sharad Pawar was elected to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. Former minister and senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, who faced a shock assembly election defeat in 2024 at the hands of Amol Khatal of the Shiv Sena from Sangamner in Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district, is said to be the dark horse from the Congress.
The BJP may drop Ranjitsinh, the son of former deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil. Ranjitsinh’s cousin Dhairyasheel is a NCP (SCP) Lok Sabha MP from Madha and had defeated the BJP’s Ranjitsinh Nimbalkar, who is said to be close to Fadnavis.
The NCP may drop Mitkari. He has been outspoken about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the death of his party president and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash earlier this year.
The Maharashtra legislative council elections held in 2022 had seen the undoing of the Uddhav-led MVA government. The polls saw massive horse-trading, and while Sachin Ahir and Aamshya Padavi of the Shiv Sena won by a sliver, Dalit leader and former minister Chandrakant Handore of the Congress was defeated. The BJP beat the odds to win a seat for Prasad Lad, who is close to Fadnavis. Soon after the polls, Shinde launched his rebellion against Uddhav and brought down the MVA regime by walking away with 40 Shiv Sena MLAs to join the BJP-led front.
Subscribe to India Today Magazine
The elections will find successors to these nine retiring members: former chief minister and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) president Uddhav Thackeray; legislative council deputy chairperson Dr Neelam Gorhe (Shiv Sena); the BJP’s Sanjay Kenekar, Sandeep Joshi, Dadarao Keche and Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil; Amol Mitkari (Nationalist Congress Party); Rajesh Rathod (Congress) and Shashikant Shinde of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
In addition, a 10th seat will see a by-election after the resignation of Congress MLC Dr Pradnya Satav. The widow of former MP and ex-Indian Youth Congress chief Rajeev Satav had quit the party and her post to join the BJP. Satav had been elected to the legislative council for a second term in 2024, and is expected to be renominated by the BJP.
The poll schedule was announced by the Election Commission (EC) on April 16. April 30 is the last date for filing nomination. Voting, if needed, will take place on May 12.
The Mahayuti’s bench strength in the 288-member legislative assembly suggests it can get its nominees elected in nine of the 10 legislative council seats. The Mahayuti has 237 members in the assembly (BJP 132, Shiv Sena 57, NCP 41, and some smaller parties and Independents).
The Opposition MVA has 48 MLAs: 20 from the Shiv Sena (UBT), 16 of the Congress, 10 from NCP (SCP), besides a member each of the CPI(M) and Peasants and Workers (PWP).
The Samajwadi Party (SP) has two MLAs, but while its state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has announced his party’s break-up with the MVA, the other legislator Rais Shaikh is seen as being close to the Opposition. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has one MLA.
Within the Mahayuti, the BJP is said to be eager to contest six seats, including that vacated by Satav, leaving two seats for Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and one for the NCP. Reports suggest Shinde may want a third seat, a demand the BJP finds unfavourable.
The MVA can get one nominee elected. But if the ruling combine fields a candidate, it may lead to a contest and push the MVA on the backfoot.
State legislative council elections take place by secret ballot, leaving the door open for horse-trading. Already, there is strong buzz about Shinde’s party allegedly wooing elected representatives from the Shiv Sena (UBT), starting with Lok Sabha MPs.
The MVA has other challenges too. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has pitched Uddhav’s name for the sole seat that may come its way, but some in the Opposition front note that his performance as a legislator has been below par, especially in taking on the Devendra Fadnavis government. Alternatively, the Shiv Sena (UBT) may choose former leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve, former MLA Vaibhav Naik or deputy leader Sushma Andhare.
The Congress is eager to secure that nomination, especially after NCP (SCP) president Sharad Pawar was elected to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. Former minister and senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, who faced a shock assembly election defeat in 2024 at the hands of Amol Khatal of the Shiv Sena from Sangamner in Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) district, is said to be the dark horse from the Congress.
The BJP may drop Ranjitsinh, the son of former deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil. Ranjitsinh’s cousin Dhairyasheel is a NCP (SCP) Lok Sabha MP from Madha and had defeated the BJP’s Ranjitsinh Nimbalkar, who is said to be close to Fadnavis.
The NCP may drop Mitkari. He has been outspoken about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the death of his party president and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash earlier this year.
The Maharashtra legislative council elections held in 2022 had seen the undoing of the Uddhav-led MVA government. The polls saw massive horse-trading, and while Sachin Ahir and Aamshya Padavi of the Shiv Sena won by a sliver, Dalit leader and former minister Chandrakant Handore of the Congress was defeated. The BJP beat the odds to win a seat for Prasad Lad, who is close to Fadnavis. Soon after the polls, Shinde launched his rebellion against Uddhav and brought down the MVA regime by walking away with 40 Shiv Sena MLAs to join the BJP-led front.
Subscribe to India Today Magazine
