Maharashtra MLC Election: Voting is to be held for 11 seats of the Legislative Council in Maharashtra on July 12. This election has become interesting. Here 12 candidates have been fielded for 11 seats. In such a situation, there is speculation that cross voting can also happen. Therefore, before voting, Mahavikas Aghadi and Mahayuti are afraid of their MLAs breaking away, so once again hotel/resort politics has started in Maharashtra before the elections. BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (AP) have ordered their MLAs to stay in hotels.
Let us also tell you in which hotel the MLAs of different parties have been asked to stay.
- BJP- Taj Presidency
- Shiv Sena- Taj Land
- Shivsena (UBT)- ITC Grand Maratha
- NCP (AP)- Hotel Lalit
What is the mathematics of Legislative Council elections?
The current strength of Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha is 274. The total strength of the Vidhan Sabha is 288. 23 votes are required to win one seat of Vidhan Parishad. In the Vidhan Parishad elections, 5 candidates of BJP, 2 of Shiv Sena and 2 of NCP (AP) are in the fray. On the other hand, 3 candidates of Mahavikas Aghadi are trying their luck in the Vidhan Parishad elections. Shiv Sena has fielded 1 candidate from UBT, 1 candidate from Congress and NCP (SP) has not fielded its candidate in the elections and has given its support to Bharatiya Shetkari Kamgar Party Jayant Patil.
How many MLAs does which party have?
BJP- 103
Congress- 37
Shiv Sena (UBT)- 15
Shiv Sena (Shinde)- 38
NCP (Ajit Pawar)- 40
NCP (Sharad Pawar)- 12
How many MLAs do other small parties have?
- Bahujan Vikas Aghadi- 3
- Samajwadi Party- 2
- MIM- 2
- Prahar Janshakti Party- 2
- MNS- 1
- Peasants and Workers Party of India – 1
- National Social Party- 1
- Communist Party of India (Marxist)-1
- Revolutionary Peasants Party- 1
- Jan Surajya Shakti- 1
- Independents – 13
Names of candidates contesting Legislative Council elections from different parties
BJP’s 5 Legislative Council candidates:-
- pankajja munde
- parinay fuke
- evergreen khoat
- Amit Gorkhe
- Yogesh Tilekar
Nationalist Congress Party (AP)
- Shivaji Rao roared
- Rajesh Witekar
Shiv Sena (Shinde)
- Kripal Tumane
- Bhavana Gawali
Shivsena – UBT
- 1. Milind Narvekar
Shekap – NCP Sharad Pawar supported candidate
- 1. Jayant Patil
Congress-
- 1. Prajna Satav
Keeping MLAs in hotels is a common practice- BJP MLC Praveen Darekar
On the issue of MLAs staying in different hotels before the Legislative Council elections and the fear of cross voting, BJP MLC Praveen Darekar said that making MLAs stay in hotels before the elections is a common process. It should not be linked to cross voting. Not only us, but the leaders of the Mahavikas Aghadi have also asked their MLAs to stay in hotels. We are fully confident of our candidate’s victory. We will meet the MLAs and tell them how to vote in the elections… so that not even a single vote of ours goes waste.
Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction MLA Sanjay Sirsat also said on the order to the MLAs to stay in the hotel that this is a normal process. There is nothing to fear about cross voting in this.
The ruling party is afraid of cross voting- Anand Dubey
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said that due to Operation Lotus, we have asked our MLAs to stay in the hotel. BJP is known for Operation Lotus. That is why we have kept our MLAs in the hotel. After the Lok Sabha results, the MLAs involved in the Mahayuti also know that the Mahavikas Aghadi government will be formed in the assembly elections. That is why some MLAs can help us through cross voting in the elections. That is why the ruling party is afraid of cross voting.
All three candidates of Mahavikas Aghadi will win – Vijay Wadettiwar
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has said that the Congress party knows that their candidate is winning. That is why we have not asked our MLAs to stay in any hotel. Not only the Congress party but all the three candidates of the Mahavikas Aghadi will win.
Mahayuti can buy the entire hotel- Jitendra Awhad
NCP (SP) faction MLA Jitendra Awhad took a dig at the MLAs being kept in the hotel and said that Mahayuti has so much money that forget about booking a hotel room. If they want, they can buy the entire hotel and make their MLAs stay there.
Why did the math go wrong when Milind Narvekar was made the candidate?
If sources are to be believed, the mathematics of the Legislative Council elections has been spoiled when Milind Narvekar was made the candidate by Shiv Sena (UBT). A candidate needs 23 votes to win the election and Shiv Sena (UBT) has only 15 MLAs of its own. On the other hand, NCP’s second candidate and NCP (SP) supported candidate Jayant Patil will also have to depend on the MLAs of other parties to win. If cross voting takes place during the Legislative Council elections, then Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) supported candidate Jayant Patil will benefit the most.
What do political experts say about the possibility of cross voting in the Legislative Council elections?
Whether it is Rajya Sabha elections or Legislative Council elections in Maharashtra, cross voting has been an old tradition here and in the last few years it has become a trend. If the opposition alliance asks its MLAs to stay in hotels due to fear of cross voting, then it would have been understandable, but this is the first time that BJP is asking its MLAs to stay in hotels. This is because even though there has not been a single Legislative Council election in the last four decades where cross voting has not taken place, but in these 4 decades BJP has kept its MLAs away from cross voting, but this time BJP is also asking its MLAs to stay in hotels. This makes it clear that BJP’s restlessness has increased.
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