Shinde miffed with BJP for not getting a single seat in Maharashtra council polls

MUMBAI: Nearly six months after coming to power, the Eknath Shinde government faces its first test following a face-off with the ally BJP over biennial elections to the Maharashtra legislative council.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is reportedly unhappy with the BJP for not conceding any seat to his faction in the council polls. Shinde expected at least two seats.

The council polls have been announced for various constituencies. The BJP has announced four candidates – Dr Ranjeet Patil for Amarawati Division graduate constituency, Dnyaneshwar Mhatre for Konkan Division teacher constituency, Kiran Patil for Aurangabad Division teacher constituency and has extended support to RSS-affiliated teacher associations’ candidate for Nagpur division.

Sources said the BJP has decided to contest all five seats, including the Nasik division teachers’ constituency. “The Shinde-led Balasaheb Shiv Sena has demanded the Nasik seat, but they do not have a presence. Therefore, the BJP will contest the seat. We’d announce our candidate soon,” said a senior BJP leader.

A Shinde camp MLA said the biennial elections are the best example of the BJP behaving like a big brother. “Forget about giving half of the seats, the BJP doesn’t show the courtesy of offering even one. This is unfortunate; we do not have options. But such arbitrary conduct of the BJP is not good for the alliance’s survival,” he said.

This biennial election to the council is significant to raise the tally of both ruling and opposition parties. The MVA has an advantage in the Upper House. It has called a meeting of its senior leaders on Wednesday to resolve the seat sharing for the biennial elections.

MVA’s other ally NCP too, will contest two seats while the Uddhav faction of Shi Sena will fight from Nagpur. The term of five MLCs, including two from graduates and three from teachers’ constituencies, will end on February 7, and elections for these seats will be held on January 30.

This is for the first time that the BJP has nominated its own candidate to contest the teachers’ constituency election for the Konkan division. Officials said there are more than 37,000 eligible voters in the Konkan division, comprising Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. The EC had announced the biennial elections for Nashik and Amravati divisions’ constituencies.

BJP partakes teachers’ constituency polls for 1st time
This is for the first time that the BJP has nominated its own candidate to contest the teachers’ constituency election for the Konkan division. Officials said there are more than 37,000 eligible voters in the Konkan division, comprising Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.