Maharashtra MLC Elections 2024: NDA vs INDIA bloc round 2 tomorrow; all you need to know

After the Lok Sabha contest, Maharashtra is bracing for another round of the ruling NDA vs INDIA bloc, where both sides will try to outmaneuver the other in the elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) to be held on Friday. For MLC polls, 12 candidates are in the fray for 11 seats.

The contest is seen as a semi-final as the results will show whether the ruling Mahayuti is intact or some MLAs are slipping ahead of the assembly polls due in October-November. There has been buzz that after the Lok Sabha results, where the NCP could win only 1 of 4 seats, some MLAs from Ajit Pawar's camp may switch sides as they are not confident of returning to power after the assembly elections.    

The NDA comprises the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP, while the INDIA bloc has Congress, Sharad Pawar's NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena. In Maharashtra, the NDA alliance is called Mahayuti while the INDIA bloc is called Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

The ruling Mahayuti has fielded 9 candidates (BJP 5, Shiv Sena 2, NCP 2), while the opposition MVA has fielded 3 (Congress 1, Sena UBT 1, NCP-SP backing Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party, an ally of the MVA). 

BJP's candidates are former minister and OBC leader Pankaja Munde, former Pune MLA Yogesh Tilekar, former minister Parinay Fuke, Dalit leader Amit Gorkhe, and former minister Sadabhau Khot.

Ajit Pawar's NCP has picked Rajesh Vitekar and Shivajirao Garje as its nominees, while the Shiv Sena has put up former Lok Sabha MPs Bhavana Gawali Patil and Krupal Tumane. 

From the MVA, the Congress has renominated Satav while the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has decided to back Jayant Patil. The Shiv Sena (UBT), however, fielded Milind Narvekar, the personal assistant of Uddhav Thackeray, necessitating an election. Narvekar had been blamed by rebels from the undivided Shiv Sena for their decision to quit the party. The rebels claimed that Narvekar controlled access to Uddhav. 

MVA vs Mahayuti - How the numbers stack up 

India Today reported that the effective strength of the 288-member assembly - the electoral college for the polls - is down to 274 and to win, each candidate will need around 23 first preference votes. 

The BJP, which has fielded 5 candidates, has a bench strength of 111, including Independents - still short of four votes. Shinde has 38 MLAs besides the support of two legislators from the Prahar Janashakti Party and seven Independents. Ajit Pawar's NCP has 39 members, short of seven votes for its second candidate.

In the MVA, the Congress has 37 members, leaving it with surplus votes after allocating a quota for its sole candidate Satav. However, its MLAs like Zeeshan Siddiqui and Sulabha Khodke are already in touch with the NCP. 

Will smaller players play a role?

The Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SCP) have 15 and 13 MLAs, respectively - less than they need for their candidates to sail through. Therefore, the support of smaller parties will become crucial. Other parties with a presence in the lower house include the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (3), Samajwadi Party (2), AIMIM (2), Prahar Janshakti Party (2), MNS, CPI(M), Swabhimani Paksha, Jansurajya Shakti Party, RSP, Krantikari Shetkari Paksha and PWP (one each). 

The twelfth candidate in the fray has triggered fears of horse trading and cross-voting. In the last few weeks, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has claimed that some MLAs of the rival camp are in touch with the opposition party for a possible return. 

The MLC elections are taking place due to the retirement of Vijay Girkar, Nilay Naik, Ramesh Patil and Ramrao Patil of the BJP; Mahadev Jankar of the Rashtriya Samaj Party, an ally of the BJP; former minister Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena (UBT); Manisha Kayande of Shinde's Shiv Sena; Babajani Durrani of Ajit Pawar's NCP; Dr Wajahat Mirza and Dr Pradnya Satav of the Congress; and Jayant Patil of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP).

Cross-Voting Fear 

The threat of cross-voting is looming large. Ahead of the final showdown, political parties are hosting dinner meetings and arranging hotel stays for their MLAs in a bid to keep their flock together. Leader of Opposition in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress has organised a dinner for his party MLAs in a Mumbai hotel on Thursday.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray held an interaction with his party MLAs over dinner at a five-star hotel in central Mumbai on Wednesday night. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar reportedly moved its MLAs to a five-star hotel in the suburbs.

Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena gathered in Vidhan Bhavan complex on Wednesday morning for a meeting ahead of the council polls. The BJP legislature party also convened a strategy meeting of its members in Vidhan Bhavan premises during the day.

(With inputs from Dhaval S Kulkarni)