Mumbai: The political circle is abuzz in the run-up to the Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled to be held on June 10, as the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition and opposition BJP have locked horns. Both sides plan to keep their MLAs together in hotels in Mumbai to avoid poaching by the other.
The two sides are also planning to keep the Independent and MLAs from smaller parties at “safe” places to prevent rival parties from approaching them for votes as the votes of 29 such MLAs are crucial for the election of the sixth candidate, for which Shiv Sena and BJP are locked in a bitter tussle.
The three parties in the ruling coalition have convened a joint meeting of their MLAs at Trident in Nariman Point on Tuesday evening. The meeting will be chaired by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been appointed as an observer for the RS polls in Maharashtra, HK Patil and NCP chief Sharad Pawar will also attend the meeting.
According to information from different party camps, Sena has begun sending its MLAs to a hotel in Malad, while Congress is expected to keep its lawmakers at the Trident Hotel at Nariman Point. NCP has, on the other hand, booked a hotel in Powai for its MLAs.
“The party leadership has asked all its MLAs to reach Mumbai by Tuesday and prepare to stay in the city till polling. We are confident about the victory of all four MVA seats,” said Congress’s Jalna MLA Kailash Gorantyal.
Meanwhile, Thackeray held a meeting of Sena MLAs and independents supporting the MVA at his official bungalow Varsha on Monday evening.
As per a senior BJP leader, the party is planning to keep its MLAs at a Cuffe Parade hotel after their meeting on Wednesday evening. The BJP has asked its 106 MLAs to reach Mumbai by Wednesday evening. “Our party is expected to lodge us at a Cuffe Parade hotel for two days,” said an MLA from the party, which has appointed Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw as the observer for Maharashtra in the RS polls.
Meanwhile, the state legislature has sought a directive from the Election Commission on the voting rights of the MLAs who have tested positive for Covid-19. “We have written to the Election Commission of India for guidelines on the voters who have Covid-19. The decision whether to allow them to vote or not depends on the guidelines,” said Rajendra Bhagwat, secretary, state legislature and returning officer for the election.
Other officers from the state said the Covid-positive MLAs are expected to be allowed to vote for half an hour with due precautions. Leader of opposition and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has tested positive for Covid-19, has been handling things virtually.
The independent and smaller party MLAs who could swing the polls have started throwing their weight around by putting forth their demands. Minister of state for school education and chief of Prahar Janashakti Party Bachchu Kadu has demanded chief minister Thackeray’s intervention to resolve the issues related to farmers. Samajwadi Party’s state chief Abu Azmi expressed his discontent over the state government’s response to the issues related to the minorities, while BJP leaders are in talks with Hitendra Thakur, whose Bahujan Vikas Aghadi has three MLAs from Vasai-Virar belt.
“The MLAs raise their issues related to their constituency grabbing the opportunity. The demands related to the funding for their constituencies are met by the government. Independents and smaller party MLAs generally side with the ruling parties. We would not have any problem in garnering the votes required for our fourth seat,” said a Congress leader.
