Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday granted permission for holding elections to the Legislative Council (MLCs) in Maharashtra. As per news agency ANI, EC will issue necessary guidelines that will be needed for safety against COVID-19 during the elections.
According to a report by Indian Express, Election Commission will likely hold polls to 9 MLC seats of Maharashtra this month. Earlier, Election Commission had withheld the election process for these 9 seats in view of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) requesting it to declare polls to the nine vacant seats of the state Legislative Council "at the earliest".
Koshyari's decision to request the poll panel to hold elections comes despite the state cabinet's two recommendations to him to nominate Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to the Upper House of the state legislature through the governor's quota. He has to get elected to either House of the legislature by May 27.
Ahead of the crucial Legislative Council election in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday paid a courtesy visit to Raj Bhavan here on the occasion of Maharashtra Day and met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Their meeting lasted for around 20 minutes.
The move comes at a time when the Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to hold a meeting over elections to the Legislative Council in Maharashtra.