Seven governor-appointed MLCs sworn in ahead of Maharashtra polls announcement

Mumbai: Hours before the announcement of the Maharashtra assembly elections, seven members of the state legislative council, appointed by the governor, were administered the oath of secrecy on Tuesday.

Of the seven new MLCs, the BJP has nominated three, while Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP have two members each.

The governor can appoint 12 candidates as MLCs with a tenure of six years, and they are appointed from different walks of life.

On Monday, the state cabinet cleared seven out of 12 names and received approval from Governor C P Radhakrishnan. With his approval, the state government held its swearing-in ceremony at the Vidhan Bhavan.

The remaining five posts are left vacant.

Shinde rehabilitated former Lok Sabha MP Hemant Patil and former MLC Manisha Kayande, while the BJP chose Dharmaguru Babusingh Maharaj Rathod, Chitra Wagh, and Vikrant Patil.

Rathod heads Washim-based Poharadevi Sansthan, a prominent organisation of the Gor Banjara community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the same temple a few weeks back.

Wagh is the state president of the saffron party's women's wing, and Vikrant Patil is the state general secretary.

Wagh, who was associated with the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for nearly two decades, faced corruption allegations against her husband in 2016. She joined the BJP before the state assembly elections in 2019. In May 2023, the Bombay High Court acquitted her husband of the bribery charges.

The NCP chose Pankaj Bhujbal, the son of state cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, and former mayor Sangli, Miraj Kupwad municipal corporation Idris Naikwadi.

Earlier in the day, the state government informed the Bombay High Court that there was no impediment in the appointment of seven MLCs.

The total capacity of the Maharashtra legislative council is 78.