Maharashtra Legislative Council polls: Voting underway in four seats
Elections are being held today for the Mumbai Graduates', Mumbai Teachers', Konkan Graduates' and Nashik Teachers' constituencies of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. The terms of sitting members, Shiv Sena's Deepak Sawant (Mumbai Graduates), Lok Bharati party's Kapil Patil (Mumbai Teachers), Niranjan Davkhare who switched from NCP to BJP (Konkan Graduates), and independent Apoorva Hire (Nashik Teachers) are expiring on July 7.
What is the difference between graduates' constituency and teachers' constituency?
A graduates' constituency is one in which only graduates from any recognized Indian university, or having an equivalent qualification, can vote. In a teachers' constituency, only a full-time teacher in at least a secondary school or higher is eligible to vote.
Besides BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP, PWP, Lok Bharti also contesting
The ruling alliance partners in Maharashtra, the BJP and the Shiv Sena, are clashing in the Mumbai Graduates', Konkan Graduates', and Mumbai Teachers' constituencies. Besides, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) and the Lok Bharti Party are also in the fray in the four seats, making it a tough contest for all the candidates.
Shiv Sena denied ticket to state health minister Deepak Sawant
In the Mumbai Graduates' seat, Amit Mehta of the BJP is pitted against Shiv Sena's Vilas Potnis. The Congress and NCP have extended their support to PWP candidate Rajendra Korde in the seat, where 14 candidates are contesting. The Shiv Sena has denied ticket to Deepak Sawant, the state health minister, from the Mumbai Graduates' constituency which he represented for two consecutive terms.
22 candidates contesting from Konkan Graduates' seats
In Mumbai Teachers' constituency, sitting MLC Kapil Patil is facing a tough challenge from BJP's Anil Deshmukh and Shiv Sena's Shivaji Shendge. In Konkan Graduates' seat, sitting MLC Niranjan Davkhare will take on Sena's Sanjay More. The NCP has fielded Najeeb Mulla, who has the support of Congress and other like-minded parties. As many as 22 candidates are contesting from Konkan Graduates' seat.
14 MLCs elected by graduates and teachers
In the Nashik Teachers' constituency, BJP's Aniket Patil, the son of former Union minister Vijay Patil, is pitted against 23 independents. In the 78-member Maharashtra Legislative Council, 31 MLCs are elected by the state Assembly members, 21 by local authorities, 12 are nominated by the governor, and seven each (total 14) are elected by graduates and teachers.
