Mumbai, Apr 16 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday said his party expects to contest a legislative council seat in the next month’s biennial elections if Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray does not seek his renomination.
He made the demand citing NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha as an Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate recently despite Congress’ wish to contest that election.
Elections to nine seats of the Upper House of the state legislature are scheduled to take place on May 12.
The Opposition can get only one of the nine council seats from the legislative assembly quota.
The BJP-led Mahayuti enjoys a massive majority in the 288-member assembly.
Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is among the nine members retiring in May this year.
Opposition MVA, an alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), can together get one seat elected on the basis of their collective strength in the Lower House.
Talking to reporters, Sapkal said Congress had earlier sought to field a party candidate in the Rajya Sabha and proposed Uddhav Thackeray as MVA’s face for the legislative council.
However, the alliance nominated Sharad Pawar to the Rajya Sabha.
“If Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t contest the legislative council, the seat should be allotted to the Congress,” he said.
Referring to the by-election for the legislative council seat caused due to the defection of the sitting Congress MLC Pradnya Satav to the BJP, Sapkal said she was given the seat due to the death of her husband and Congress leader Rajiv Satav.
The bypoll to this seat will also be held on May 12 along with nine other seats.
Sapkal demanded that the seat be given to the Congress and an uncontested by-election be held. He urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to follow established political conventions citing Baramati as the precedent.
The Congress last week withdrew its candidate from the Baramati assembly bypoll against Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. The by-election is set to be held on April 23.
The tenure of nine MLCs is due to end on May 13. These are Uddhav Thackeray, Neelam Diwakar Gorhe, Amol Ramkrushna Mitkari, Sanjay Kishanrao Kenekar, Sandeep Diwakar Joshi, Dadarao Yadavrao Keche, Ranjitsinh Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, Rajesh Dhondiram Rathod and Shashikant Jaywantrao Shinde. PTI MR NP
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