Maharashtra council election: 12 candidates in fray for 11 seats on July 12

Mumbai: With 12 candidates including BJP’s Pankaja Munde and Uddhav Thackeray’s personal aide Milind Narvekar remaining in the fray, biennial election to 11 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council will be held on July 12.

Friday was the last date to withdraw nominations for the election in which Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) would cast vote.

The six-year term of 11 sitting MLCs ends on July 27.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Pankaja Munde (who recently lost the Lok Sabha election from Beed), Amit Gorkhe, Sadabhau Khot and Yogesh Tilekar besides giving ticket again to Parinay Phuke, a sitting member of the council. The Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has fielded former MPs Bhavana Gawli and Krupal Tumane. The Nationalist Congress Party led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has fielded Shivajirao Garje and Rajesh Vitekar.

On the Opposition side, Congress has given ticket again to sitting MLC Pradnya Satav. Jayant Patil of Peasants and Workers Party is seeking reelection as a candidate of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Milind Narvekar, a close aide of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

A candidate will require 23 votes to win. The current strength of the Maharashtra Assembly is 274.