Maharashtra council polls: MNS fields filmmaker Abhijit Panse from Konkan Graduates constituency

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Monday announced film director Abhijit Panse as its candidate from the Konkan Graduates' constituency for the legislative council elections scheduled on June 26.

The constituency is currently represented by BJP's Niranjan Davkhare.

Notably, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had last month offered unconditional support to the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra.

Thackeray then also declared support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the Lok Sabha elections would decide the 'future of the country.' He had also asked his party workers to start preparing for the state assembly elections due later this year.

On Monday, MNS general secretary Shirish Sawant announced party member Panse's candidature for the MLC polls to the Konkan Graduates' constituency.

The biennial elections to four legislative council seats - Mumbai Graduates, Konkan Graduates, Mumbai Teachers and Nashik Teachers - became necessary as the terms of sitting members are expiring in July.

The BJP has not yet announced its candidates for the MLC elections.

The last date for filing the nominations is June 7. Voting will be held on June 26 and results will be declared on July 1.

The Maharashtra legislative council is a 78-member house.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Saturday named MLC Anil Parab and party functionary J M Abhyankar as its candidates for the Mumbai Graduates' and Mumbai Teachers' constituencies.

Parab was the state transport minister in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Thackeray.

The Mumbai Teachers, Mumbai Graduates and Nashik Teachers constituencies are currently represented by Kapil Patil of the JD(U), Vilas Potnis of the Shiv Sena (UBT)) and independent MLC Kishore Darade, respectively.

Out of 78 seats in the legislative council, the Shiv Sena (undivided) has 11 members, NCP (undivided) 9, Congress 8, and BJP 22. The JD (U), Peasants and Workers Party, and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha have one member each, while four are Independents and 21 seats are vacant.

The vacant seats include 12 members to be nominated by the Governor and nine selected through local body representatives.

Notably, most of the MLCs from the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party have switched sides to the camps led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, respectively, after the split in these parties.