Maharashtra Legislative Council Elections Underway Amid Heavy Rains

The biennial elections for 11 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council began at the Vidhan Bhavan Complex. Shiv Sena's Sanjay Gaikwad was the first to vote. With 12 candidates vying for the positions, voting takes place from 9 am to 4 pm. Eleven members of the upper house are retiring on July 27.

The biennial elections for 11 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council kicked off on Friday at the Vidhan Bhavan Complex. Despite heavy rains in Mumbai, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Gaikwad was the first to cast his vote using the secret ballot system.

A total of 12 candidates are in the fray for the 11 seats, with voting scheduled between 9 am and 4 pm. The electoral college consists of the 288-member legislative assembly, currently standing at 274 members. Each winning candidate needs a quota of 23 first-preference votes.

With eleven members of the upper house retiring on July 27, this high-stakes election aims to fill the upcoming vacancies. The BJP has fielded five candidates, while Mahayuti allies Shiv Sena and NCP have nominated two each. The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have both nominated one candidate, with the NCP (SP) backing the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) nominee. MVA is hoping for cross-votes from some NCP and Shiv Sena MLAs despite lacking sufficient numbers for their third candidate.