Maha Cabinet recommends Uddhav's name as MLC from Guv quota

The Maharashtra Cabinet on Thursday decided to recommend chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's name for being nominated as member of the state Legislative Council from the governor's quota.

Thackeray, who is currently not a member of either of the Houses of state Legislature, was not present at the Cabinet meeting where the decision was taken.

At present, there are two vacancies in the Legislative Council from the Governor's quota after MLCs Rahul Narvekar and Ram Wadkute quit the Nationalist Congress Party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party before the assembly polls in October last year.

The term of these two vacant seats is till mid-June.

Maharashtra parliamentary affairs minister Anil Parab said that the decision to recommend Thackeray's name as MLC from the governor's quota was taken at the state Cabinet meeting.

"Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been requested to appoint Uddhav Thackeray from one of the two vacant seats," he said.

Thackeray was not present at the Cabinet meeting which was chaired by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar at the state secretariat.

Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik told reporters that Thackeray had been advised not to attend the meeting, since the Cabinet was to recommend his name to the governor for appointment as MLC.

"As MLC elections cannnot be held due to COVID-19, it is being done to avoid a constitutional crisis," said Malik after the meeting was concluded.

Article 164(4)of the Constitution states that a minister, who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a minister.

The six-month period in Thackeray's case ends on May 28 as he was sworn as chief minister on November 28 last year.

Nine Legislative Council seats from the MLAs' quota are falling vacant on April 24, and Thackeray was set to be elected as an MLC during the biennial elections as one of the candidate.

But, in view of the coronavirus outbreak and the national lockdown, the Election Commission has deferred the polls.