Wary of cross-voting, parties house MLAs in star hotels ahead of Maharashtra MLC polls
The BJP is wary of the MVA deploying the strategy of cross-voting the saffron party had used two years ago. In 2022, Eknath Shinde had led a revolt during the Legislative Council election
A day ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) election for 11 seats, the fear of crossing-voting has forced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) to check-in their MLAs into star hotels.
Given the seat matrix, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is supposed to win only two MLC seats. But it has fielded three candidates. The BJP is wary of the MVA deploying the strategy of cross-voting the saffron party had used two years ago.
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In 2022, Eknath Shinde had led a revolt during the Legislative Council election. Out of the 10 MLC seats, MVA was expected to win six, but got one less. The BJP got five of its nominees elected to the Upper House as a group of Shiv Sena MLAs cross-voted. After the poll result, Mr. Shinde, with 10 MLAs, reached the BJP-ruled Gujarat and toppled the government headed by Mr. Thackeray.
This time, 12 candidates are in the fray for the 11 seats. The ruling Mahayuti alliance has fielded nine candidates and the MVA has three candidates contesting the biennial election. With five candidates, the BJP has the highest number of nominees, followed by two each from Ajit Pawar’s NCP and Mr. Shinde’s Sena. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) is supporting the Peasants and Workers’ Party of India (PWPI) candidature of sitting MLC Jayant Patil, Mr. Thackeray’s Sena has chosen his close aide Milind Narvekar and the Congress has renominated Pradnya Satav, wife of the late MP Rajeev Satav.
Also read | 11 MLC seats in Maharashtra to go to polls on July 12
The BJP has taken its 103 MLAs to Taj President, Cuffe Parade, while Mr. Shinde has got his 40 MLAs housed in the Taj Land’s End, Bandra. The NCP has made its flock stay indoors at Andheri’s The Lalit and Mr. Thackeray’s 16 MLAs are put up at ITC Grand Central in Lower Parel.
The Congress, with a strength of 37 MLAs, and the NCP (SP), with 12 MLAs, have so far not taken their MLAs to any ‘safe haven’.
As the MVA has fielded three candidates against its assured two wins, speculations are rife in the political circles that Mahayuti MLAs planning to switch to the Opposition alliance post the Lok Sabha election results may have been asked to prove their allegiance by cross-voting in favour of the MVA candidates.
On Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and former Minister Bhaskar Jadhav told reporters that one BJP candidate is set to lose on Friday. Last week, Mr. Thackeray had expressed confidence in all three MVA nominees getting elected.
Of the 288 seats, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly’s existing strength is 274. These MLAs form the electoral college for the July 12 election. Each MLC candidate will require 23 votes to confirm a berth in the Upper House.
The three big allies of MVA have 65 MLAs and require a minimum of 69 votes for all three of its nominees to win. If PWPI and Communist Party of India (Marxist), with one MLA each, and the Samajwadi Party, with two MLAs, back the MVA, only then it will be able to sail through. Otherwise, it has to depend on cross-voting. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, that has two MLAs, is not in the MVA.
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