Maharashtra Legislative Council By-Election for Five Seats Scheduled on March 27
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Synopsis
The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the by-election for five seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, with polling set for March 27. This election follows the recent election of members to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Key Takeaways
- By-election for five Maharashtra Legislative Council seats on March 27.
- Polling follows recent assembly elections held in November.
- Notification issued on March 10; nominations until March 17.
- MahaYuti holds a majority; unopposed election likely.
- Current council has 78 members with vacancies due to upcoming elections.
Mumbai, March 3 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India has officially revealed the timeline for the by-election concerning five seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
This by-election became necessary due to the election of these five members to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that occurred in November of the previous year.
The voting is scheduled for March 27, the day following the end of the current budget session of the state legislature, in accordance with the timeline established by the Business Advisory Committees of both the state assembly and the council.
Among the five council members who transitioned to the lower house, three are affiliated with the BJP: Praveen Datke, Gopichand Padalkar, and Ramesh Karad, while Rajesh Vitekar represents NCP-SP and Amisha Padvi is from Shiv Sena. Members of the state assembly will cast their votes in the upcoming by-election set for March 27.
The term for Padvi in the Legislative Council extends until July 7, 2028, while Vitekar's term lasts until July 27, 2030. Datke's term is valid until May 13, 2026, and both Ramesh Karad and Gopichand Padalkar also have terms ending on May 13, 2026.
According to the ECI’s schedule for the impending by-election, the notification will be published on March 10, the last day for filing nominations is March 17, scrutiny of nominations will occur on March 18, and the last day for withdrawing nominations is March 20. The polling will be conducted on March 27 from 9 am to 4 pm, with the counting of votes set for 5 pm on the same day. This by-election must be finalized before March 29.
Within the 78-member Maharashtra Legislative Council, the ruling MahaYuti holds 32 seats, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi has 17 seats. The party composition includes BJP with 19, Shiv Sena with 6, NCP with 7, Congress with 7, Shiv Sena UBT with 7, NCP-SP with 3, and 3 independents.
Currently, there are 52 sitting members out of 78, with 26 seats remaining vacant due to pending local and civic body elections. These positions will be filled by elected members from local and civic bodies.
Among the 288 members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the BJP leads with 132, followed by Shiv Sena with 57 (plus one independent who joined last week), NCP with 41, Shiv Sena UBT with 20, Congress with 16, NCP-SP with 10, and smaller parties and independents making up the rest. The MahaYuti coalition boasts nearly 238 members, positioning them favorably to secure all five seats. Conversely, the Maha Vikas Aghadi comprises 49 members.
Sources from MahaYuti suggest that the by-election may proceed unopposed given their current majority.
