Maharashtra Legislative Council Elections: A Power Play Before Assembly Polls

The upcoming biennial elections to 11 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council will serve as a significant indicator of political dynamics before the assembly elections later this year. Scheduled for July 12, the elections see contentious maneuvers amid disqualifications and strategic alliances within major parties.

The biennial elections to 11 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the MLA quota will be a crucial test for the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ahead of the assembly elections slated for later this year.

With 14 vacancies in the 288-member legislative house, an electoral college of 274, and a quota of 23 for any winning candidate, the stakes are high. Out of the 11 seats, the MVA can secure two, while the ruling alliance is poised to win nine, given their numerical strength in the lower house of the state legislature. Congress is positioned to get one candidate elected as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) each securing one. BJP can get five seats, leaving four for its allies Shiv Sena and NCP.

Nominations will open on June 25, and elections are scheduled for July 12. Currently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads with 103 MLAs, followed by the Ajit Pawar-led NCP with 40, and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena with 38. The Congress has 37 MLAs, Shiv Sena (UBT) 15, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP with 10. Despite the intricate dynamics, an NCP leader indicated that the council polls might be unopposed due to the political risks involved. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is considering approaching the Supreme Court to stay the elections, citing disqualification proceedings against its members, while the BJP insists a contest is avoidable only if there is no 12th candidate.