Hotel-resort politics is back in Maharashtra once again, and political parties are not willing to take any risks ahead of the Legislative Council elections on Friday, July 12.
There are 12 candidates in the fray for the biennial elections for 11 Legislative Council seats.
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will vote, and to avoid any possibility of cross-voting during the secret ballot, all parties are keeping their MLAs together.
During their stay at the hotel, senior members of BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) will also brief their MLAs about the voting.
Who is living where?
According to reports, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has shifted its MLAs to the ITC Grand Central hotel in Lower Parel.
MLAs from the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) camp are staying at the Taj Lands End in Bandra.
BJP has taken its MLAs to Taj President in Colaba.
MLAs of NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction will stay at Hotel Lalit in Andheri.
However, it is not yet known whether the NCP (SP) MLAs will stay in a hotel or not.
Which candidates are in the fray?
Pankaja Munde, Amit Gorkhe, Sadabhau Khot, Yogesh Tilekar and sitting council member Parinay Phuke are among those fielded.
Pankaja Munde contested the Lok Sabha elections from Beed, however, she lost to NCP (SP) candidate Bajrang Sonawane.
Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde)
Former MPs Bhavana Gawali and Kripal Tumane.
NCP (Ajit Pawar)
Shivajirao Garje and Rajesh Vitekar.
Congress
Current MLC Pradnya Satav.
NCP(SP)
NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is supporting Jayant Patil of Peasants and Workers Party.
Shiv Sena (UBT)
Milind Narvekar, a close aide of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Votes needed to win
A candidate will need 23 votes to win.
Two newly elected MLCs took oath
On July 8, Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe administered the oath to Niranjan Davkhare of the BJP and Jagannath Motiram Abhyankar of the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Davkhare won from the Konkan Graduates constituency for the third time. Abhyankar won from the Mumbai Teachers seat.
Last Friday, Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders discussed the alliance strategy at a meeting held at NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s office at YB Chavan Centre in south Mumbai.
