Maharashtra Appoints Seven MLCs Amid Contention

The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court about appointing seven new MLCs to fill the vacant seats in the state legislative council. Controversy arose as these appointments coincided with a pending court order on a previously withdrawn list of nominees. The BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP divided the seats.

The Maharashtra government has proceeded with the appointment of seven MLCs, as confirmed by the Advocate General Birendra Saraf to the Bombay High Court on Tuesday. This move comes amidst legal scrutiny of a previously withdrawn list of nominees.

During a session with the division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, Saraf stated that there are no judicial obstacles, such as stays or injunctions, impeding these appointments. The court is reviewing a plea challenging the new government's withdrawal of nominations submitted by the earlier MVA government in 2020.

These new appointments have been divided among the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party, each securing a share of the seats. The selected members include Chitra Wagh and Vikrant Patil from the BJP, with nominations from other parties as well, sparking a political debate on the council's new representation.

(With inputs from agencies.)