The move came two months after Shinde and 39 Shiv Sena MLAs rebelled and toppled the Thackeray-led MVA government by joining hands with the BJP(PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday wrote to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, requesting him to withdraw the 12 names proposed by his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray to be nominated to the vacant posts of MLCs under the Governor’s quota.
In his letter, Shinde said that list submitted Thackeray should not be accepted, said sources.
Sources added that the Governor is likely to accept the request and the Shinde-led government is set to submit another list of names to Koshyari. “The CM has written to the Governor asking to withdraw the names proposed by MVA. Now, a new list will be given to the Governor by the Shinde group and the BJP. The new government will decide who will be the 12 members appointed by the Governor to the Legislative Council,” a source said.
The move comes two months after Shinde, along with 39 other Sena MLAs, rebelled against Thackeray to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and came to power in alliance with the BJP.
The MVA had given its list to the Governor twice in two-and-a-half years, requesting him to give his approval to the proposed names for the 12 vacant MLC seats. However, Koshyari had neither rejected nor accepted the nominations.
While the MVA had approached Bombay High Court in this regard, the court had refused to give any direction to the Governor.
The MVA had also accused Koshyari of acting on behalf of the BJP, which was then the Opposition party in the state.
MVA allies Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress had listed 4 names each, including senior leaders, activists and celebrities.
The list included NCP leader Eknath Khadse, Congress’ Sachin Sawant and actor Urmila Matondkar, also a Sena leader.