Maha govt nominates seven members to state council

Mumbai, Oct 15
The Maharashtra government has released a gazette notification on the nomination of seven leaders to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the Governor’s quota.

The development happened late Monday night. Of the seven, three are from BJP while two each are from Shiv Sena and NCP. The members will have a six-year term.

The MahaYuti ahead of the upcoming Assembly election has preferred to nominate seven against the nomination of a total of 12 members to the state council. MahaYuti insiders said the remaining five members will be nominated after the state Assembly elections. These names were recommended by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday morning for Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan’s assent.

The notification was released late Monday night after the Governor’s approval.

BJP’s list includes the state women wing chief Chitra Wagh, party leader from Raigad district Vikrant Patil and Dharmguru Babusing Maharaj Rathod from Washim where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently inaugurated Banjara Virasat Museum.

NCP has given the opportunity to former legislator Pankaj Bhujbal, who is the son of party Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Idris Naikwadi who hails from western Maharashtra. NCP leader Baba Siddique, who was killed on Saturday, has been considered by NCP national president Ajit Pawar for the nomination.

Shiv Sena has nominated former MP Hemant Patil, who was denied a ticket from the Hingoli constituency in the 2024 general elections, and former legislator Manisha Kayande, who was also not renominated to the state council during the recently held biennial election.

Meanwhile, these seven members will take the oath at noon in the Vidhan Bhavan where the Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe will administer the oath.

During the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government (November 2019 - June 2022), 12 names were recommended to former Governor B.S. Koshyari who had not given his approval. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government had sent successive reminders to the Governor.

The MahaYuti government withdrew 12 names recommended by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to be nominated to the state council from the Governor’s quota. The government’s move to withdraw those 12 names was challenged in court and the matter is pending for order.