Uddhav Thackeray files nomination for Maharashtra Legislative Council

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray filed his nomination papers for the Maharashtra Legislative Council election at the Vidhan Bhavan on Monday (May 11). He was accompanied by wife Rashmi, sons Aaditya and Tejas Thackeray and other senior leaders from the Maha Vikas Agadi.

The last day of filing nomination is May 11, scrutiny of nominations will take place on May 12 and the last date of withdrawal of papers is May 14.

Thackeray, who is not a member of either Houses of the state legislature, is one of the nominees for the elections, which became necessary after terms of the sitting MLCs ended on April 24. Uddhav is all set to be elected unoppsed as the MLC after Congress on Sunday announced that it would withdraw one of its two nominees for the May 21 elections on the nine seats.

This was in contrast with Saturday's development when Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat had announced on Twitter that Rajkishore alias Papa Modi will be party's second candidate besides Rajesh Rathod, a Jalna zilla parishad member whose name was announced from Delhi. Thorat said he was confident that both will win.

The 288-member Maharashtra Assembly forms electoral college for the polls, and a candidate needs 29 votes to win. The Congress has 44 MLAs.

The Shiv Sena and NCP, other two ruling alliance partners, have so far announced two candidates each, while the opposition BJP has announced four candidates.

Thackeray and incumbent deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe are the nominees of the Sena while Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari are the candidates of the NCP.

Former NCP MP Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, Praveen Datke and Ajit Gopchhade are the nominees of the BJP, which has the highest 105 MLAs. The BJP nominees filed their nominations on May 8.