Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The political temperature is rising in Maharashtra as the state gears up for the Legislative Council (MLC) elections. Of the 17 vacant seats, the ruling Mahayuti alliance has already secured six, with its candidates elected unopposed.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), has suffered an early setback after six of its 15 candidates withdrew from the contest.
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Attention has now turned to June 18, when polling will be held for the remaining 11 seats. Of the 17 seats falling vacant, seven were previously held by the BJP, five by the Shiv Sena, three by the NCP and two by the Congress.
However, the contest is not entirely one-sided, with the Mahayuti – BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP – facing internal dissent in two constituencies — Nashik and Jalgaon.
The developments have triggered a sharp political war of words between leaders of the ruling alliance and the Opposition.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut described the election process as a “money market”, alleging that financial muscle power had overshadowed democratic competition.
Echoing similar concerns, Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal accused the Mahayuti of misusing money power, describing the situation as “paisa phenk, tamasha dekh”.
With the ruling alliance continuing to enjoy a numerical advantage, the Mahayuti appears well placed ahead of the polls, while the MVA faces an uphill battle in the remaining contests.
THE CANDIDATES WHO WON UNOPPOSED
1) Thane: Ravindra Phatak (Shinde Sena)
2) Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sundhudurg: Aniket Tatkare (Ajit Pawar NCP)
3) Pune: Vikram Kakade (Ajit Pawar NCP)
4) Chandrapur-Wardha-Gadchiroli: Arun Lakhani (BJP)
5) Yavatmal: Dushyant Chaturvedi (Shinde Sena)
6) Ahilyanagar: Prajakt Tanpure (BJP)
CONSTITUENCIES & OUTGOING MLCs
1. Solapur: Prashant Paricharak (BJP)
2. Jalgaon: Chandubhai Patel (BJP)
3. Bhandara-Gondia: Parinay Phuke (BJP)
4. Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli: Ramdas Ambatkar (BJP)
5. Amravati: Pravin Pote (BJP)
6. Dharashiv-Latur-Beed: Suresh Dhas (BJP)
7. Nagpur (By-election): Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP)
8. Ahilyanagar: Arunkaka Jagtap (NCP)
9. Pune: Anil Bhosale (NCP)
10. Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg: Aniket Tatkare (NCP)
11. Thane: Ravindra Phatak (Shiv Sena)
12. Nashik: Narendra Darade (Shiv Sena)
13. Yavatmal: Dushyant Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena)
14. Parbhani-Hingoli: Viplav Bajoria (Shiv Sena)
15. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Jalna: Ambadas Danve (Shiv Sena)
16. Sangli-Satara: Mohanrao Kadam (Congress)
17. Nanded: Amar Rajurkar (Congress)
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
