MLC Election: Shiv Sena finalises Uddhav Thackeray, Neelam Gorhe's candidature

Days after Election Commission of India (ECI) announced polls to the Maharashtra Legislative council, Shiv Sena has finalised candidature of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Neelam Gorhe, senior Shiv Sena leader and deputy chairman of the state legislative council, has also been re-nominated for the second seat that the regional party is contesting. 

After the appeal made by Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leader and Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Election Commission announced polls to the legislative council on May 21. This came as a relief to Uddhav Thackeray who needs to get elected to either house of the state legislature. 

According to article 164 (4) of the Indian constitution, any minister who is not a member of the legislature for any six consecutive months shall cease to be a minister. 

In order to avoid a constitutional crisis amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Maharashtra cabinet had recommended Uddhav Thackeray’s name to the governor for his nomination as an MLC twice. 

Uddhav Thackeray will the second member from his family to contest elections. Aaditya Thackeray, who won from Worli assembly constituency on Shiv Sena ticket, became the first ‘Thackeray’ to contest polls held between September-October 2019. 

Uddhav Thackeray took oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister on November 28, 2019, and is not the member of either house - legislative assembly or council. The deadline for him to get elected to either house of the state legislature is May 27. 

Earlier, the election commission had postponed the upcoming elections for the Rajya Sabha and other local bodies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the polls to the nine seats of the legislative council which became vacant on April 24 are to be held on May 21. 

The notification issued by the EC informs that the date to file the nomination is May 11 and the date for the withdrawal is May 14. With the strength of alliance partners including Congress, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the elections are likely to be unopposed. 

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