ECI declares polls on five MLC seats on December 1; Maharashtra CM yet to send 12 names to Governor

The Election Commission of India on Monday declared elections for five seats of the state legislative council on December 1. The seats got vacant on July 19 and

The Election Commission of India on Monday declared elections for five seats of the state legislative council on December 1. The seats got vacant on July 19 and are from graduates and teachers constituencies. Last date for filing of nominations is November 12 and nomination papers can be withdrawn by November 17, states the notification issued by ECI on Monday.

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Three MLCs from graduates constituencies — Satish Chavan (NCP), Chandrakant Patil (BJP) and Anil Sole (BJP) while two MLCs from teachers constituencies — Shrikant Deshpande (Independent) and Dattratray Sawant (Independent) retired on July 19. The election commission could not hold polls in the last four months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The election commission has also issued broad guidelines for the election process to ensure basic precautionary measures are followed. It has mandated every person to wear a mask during the poll process and follow social distancing norms. It has directed thermal screening of all persons at the premises where polling is going to take place, apart from making available sanitisers.

Meanwhile, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is yet to send names of 12 nominees to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for appointing them as Governor nominated members to the legislative council. The state cabinet on Wednesday authorized the chief minister to send the names.

The term of 12 legislators nominated to the Upper house from the governor’s quota had expired in June. The seats are vacant since then as the state has not made any recommendation to the Governor. All the three ruling parties — Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — have decided to share an equal number of seats — four — and are supposed to give their names to the chief minister.

State rural development minister Hasan Mushrif on Monday alleged that the governor has planned to delay the appointment of MLCs and the same was revealed by state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil in an interaction with former minister Vinay Kore in Kolhapur recently. “A discussion over appointment of 12 MLCs took place between the governor and Devendraji (leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis) and it was decided that the list will be kept aside. Patil said this in an interaction with Kore and others in Kolhapur,” Mushrif said. Former BJP minister Girish Mahajan clarified that the decision needs to be taken by the Governor and BJP has nothing to do with it.