CM Uddhav visits Maharashtra Governor; EC to discuss MLC elections with CEC stranded in US

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday paid a courtesy visit to Raj Bhavan on the occasion of 'Maharashtra Day' and met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, for around 20 minutes. According to sources, Uddhav discussed a variety of issues with the Governor which includes the state's handling of COVID-19 crisis.

Sources added the issue of MLC elections was also discussed after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, on Thursday, requested the Election Commission of India to declare elections to the 9 vacant seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council ‘at the earliest’.

EC meeting on Friday over MLC polls

In his letter, the Governor pointed out that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray who is not a member of either house of the State Legislature needs to get elected to the Council before May 27, 2020. This development comes a day after Thackeray spoke to PM Modi over the delay in his nomination to the state council.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold on Friday a meeting over the election to the Legislative Council in Maharashtra. The meeting will start at 9.30 am. "The Election Commission of India will be meeting over Maharashtra Legislative Council polls tomorrow at 9:30 am," an ECI official said.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora, who is stranded in the United States due to lockdown, will join the meeting via video conferencing. Arora went to the US early March and was supposed to come back in the first week of April but could not as India stopped international and domestic flights from March 25 onwards.

"I am on a personal visit and would be coming back as soon the travel restrictions are lifted," Arora said. Confirming his presence in the meeting, Arora told ANI, "Following the urgency of the matter, I would be joining from the US via video conferencing."

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Maharashtra Cabinet reminds Governor

On April 27, the state cabinet sent a reminder to Governor Koshyari on nominating Thackeray to the Maharashtra legislative council as the governor's pick. Koshyari is yet to accept the nomination, as two seats from governor's quota are currently unfilled - after 2 NCP councillors resigned to join BJP. After the cabinet's reminder, two PILs have been filed with the Bombay High Court, urging for holding immediate elections to get Thackeray elected to the Council.

Thackeray was sworn-in as the Maharashtra Chief Minister on November 28, last year. He is currently not a member of either of the House -- Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council. According to the Constitution, Thackeray has to be elected to either Assembly or Council within six months in order to continue in his post. Uddhav Thackeray had also dialed PM Modi regarding the nomination.

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(With ANI inputs)