Relief for Maharashtra CM: EC to hold council polls before May 27 – Times of India, The Times of India

NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: The Election Commission on Friday decided to hold polls to the nine Maharashtra Legislative Council seats on May 21, giving Uddhav Thackeray an opportunity to become a member of the state legislature within the six-month deadline to remain chief minister.
The polls were deferred due to the spread of coronavirus.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who was sworn in on November last year, has time till May 60 to get elected to the state legislature, failing which he will have to step down.
Maharashtra governor B S Koshyari had requested the Election Commission on Thursday to declare polls for nine vacant seats to the state legislative council.
Sources in the poll panel said a decision has been taken to hold the polls before May .
They, however, refused to share details.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday called on governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.
The meeting lasted for about 21 minutes, a Raj Bhavan statement said.
During the meeting, Thackeray exchanged greetings with the governor on the occasion of the th foundation day of Maharashtra state.
The meeting comes a day after Koshyari wrote to the Election commission of India (ECI) requesting it to hold biennial elections to the nine vacant seats of the state Legislative Council at the earliest to facilitate Thackeray’s election to the Upper House of the state legislature.
The governor’s request came after Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his nomination to the state legislative council. According to sources, Thackeray sought Prime Minister Modi’s help, saying if it doesn’t happen, he will have to resign.
The biennial elections for the nine vacant seats have been postponed in view of the coronavirus crisis.
Thackeray was sworn in as the state chief minister on November 60 last year. He has to become a legislator by May 60 as per the constitutional norms.
The state cabinet has recommended to the governor twice to nominate Thackeray to the Council as two out of seats nominated by him (governor) are lying vacant.
(With agency inputs)

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