Maharashtra MLC elections: 11 seats, 12 candidates in fray, resort politics in amid fears of horse-trading

Maharashtra is gearing up for a high-stakes election to fill 11 Legislative Council seats. Fresh off their Lok Sabha success, where they won 30 of 48 seats, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has fielded three candidates, sparking a fierce contest.

Amid fears of cross-voting and horse-trading, parties have strategically relocated their candidates to resorts, adding to the election drama.

The Maharashtra Assembly, with 288 seats, currently has 274 members, meaning each MLC candidate needs 23 first-preference votes to be elected. The ruling Mahayuti, part of the larger NDA alliance, includes the BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar wing of the NCP, and has fielded nine candidates backed by 201 MLAs, including Independents and smaller parties.

The MVA, under the INDIA umbrella, consists of the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the NCP (Sharad Pawar), and has put up three candidates despite having the support of only 67 MLAs. Six MLAs, including an Independent, remain neutral and could play a crucial role in the elections as 12 candidates vie for 11 MLC seats.
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After Ajit Pawar's NCP won just one Lok Sabha seat, there's been strong speculation that MLAs from his faction might switch allegiance to the Sharad Pawar-led faction. Their support is what likely gave the opposition the confidence to field a third candidate. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who triggered the need for the election by fielding his close aide, Milind Narvekar, stated, "We wouldn't be doing it (fielding a third candidate) if we weren't confident of winning."

In the high-stakes political drama unfolding in Maharashtra, the numbers game is more intense than ever.

The BJP, with 103 MLAs, has strategically fielded five candidates: Pankaja Munde, Yogesh Tilekar, Parinay Phuke, Amit Gorkhe, and Sadabhau Khot. However, they fall 12 MLAs short of the needed votes. The Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, with 37 MLAs, has nominated Krupal Tumane and Bhawana Gawli, missing nine votes to secure their seats. Similarly, Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, boasting 39 MLAs, has Rajesh Vitekar and Shivajirao Garje in the race but lacks seven votes to meet the 46 required. To bridge these gaps, the ruling coalition is relying on nine MLAs from smaller parties and 13 Independents.

On the other side, the Congress, with 37 MLAs, has put forward Pradnya Satav and enjoys a surplus of 14 votes. The NCP faction loyal to Sharad Pawar, with its 13 MLAs, is backing Jayant Patil from the Peasants and Workers Party. The Shiv Sena faction under Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, despite having just 15 MLAs, has nominated Milind Narvekar, falling eight votes short. To overcome this deficit, the Congress's extra votes may play a crucial role, along with the support of AIMIM's two MLAs, SP's two, CPI(M)'s lone MLA, and one Independent, who are all seen as pivotal and neutral. The Congress asserts that the coalition has secured the backing of at least some of these key MLAs.

Congress's Vijay Wadettiwar hosted a dinner for party MLAs at a Mumbai hotel on Thursday night, issuing a whip to ensure votes for MVA candidates, with final instructions to come just before voting begins, according to PTI.

Uddhav Thackeray gathered his MLAs for an overnight stay at a five-star hotel in central Mumbai on Wednesday, joined by additional legislators on Thursday.

Ajit Pawar's NCP faction moved its MLAs to a five-star hotel near the airport in suburban Mumbai, while Shiv Sena MLAs met at Vidhan Bhavan before relocating to a Bandra five-star hotel.

BJP MLAs are also stationed at a luxury hotel, contrasting with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, which has not sequestered its members. "We have full faith in our MLAs and don't feel the need to keep them in five-star hotels," said Jayant Patil, Maharashtra's NCP president.