Nominations begin tomorrow for MLCs, RS members election

Mumbai, Mar 7 (UNI) Hectic lobbying is on among various political parties to identify the candidates to fill in seven seats to Rajya Sabha and nine to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in the elections scheduled for March 26.

Besides Partymen, intense lobbying is also being carried out by some industrialists to find place among the candidates for the elections, notification for which will be issued tomorrow.

According to the notification, the last day for filing the nominations is March 15. Scrutiny will be held on March 17 while the last day for withdrawal is March 19.

Polling, if necessary, will be held here in the Vidhan Sabha Complex from 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs.

The Congress, which leads the ruling Democratic Front in Maharashtra, is likely to finalise its candidates early next week. It may field three candidates, party sources here said, adding that its alliance partner, the NCP may contest for two seats.

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates are to be announced by the Party's Central Election Committee in its meeting in New Delhi on March 10.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Murli Deora and Union Minister of State in Prime Minister Office Prithviraj Chavan (both Congress) are among those seven Rajya Sabha members from the state, whose present six-year tenure of the membership is due to end on April 2 next. Others include former Maharashtra Governor P C Alexander (Independent), Industrialist Rajkumar Dhoot and veteran Cooperative banking leader Eknath Thakur (both Shiv Sena), Ved Prakash Goyal (BJP) and Dattatraya Meghe (NCP).

Biennial elections to nine seats of the State Legislative Council by members of the State Assembly will also be held on the same day.

These are the seats held by the MLCs, who are to retire on April 24 next. They include Legislative Council Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh, Sudhakar Gangane and Sharad Ranpise (all Congress), Sadhashivrao Pol and Minister of State Rana Jagjit Singh (both NCP), Madhukar Sarpotdar and Neelam Gorhe (both Shiv Sena), leader of Opposition Pandurang Phundkar and Vinod Tawde (both BJP).

According to political observers, these biennial elections may be completed unopposed if their is complete adjustment among various parties in the ruling front and the opposition Shiv Sena-BJP combine.

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