Uddhav Thackeray, among nine, elected unopposed to Maharashtra upper house

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, May 14

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was among nine candidates from different political parties who were declared elected unopposed in the elections to the state legislative council on Thursday.

The state election authorities declared Thackeray and Deputy Chairperson of the house Neelam Gorhe (both from the Shiv Sena), Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari of the Nationalist Congress Party, and Rajesh Rathod of the Congress elected after the last date for withdrawal of nominations expired on Thursday.

Four nominees from the Opposition BJP, Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Gopichand Padalkar, Praveen Datke and Ramesh Karad were also declared elected unopposed.

Their election became a mere formality after four other nominees for the nine seats withdrew from the fray on Tuesday. The nomination of the fifth was rejected on technical grounds.

All nine were elected by the MLAs of the lower house.

Thackeray (59) makes his debut as a legislator following his election to the state legislative council. He was sworn in as Chief Minister on November 28 last year and had to be elected to either house of the state legislature by May 27.