Denied MLC ticket, Maharashtra Health Min submits resignation

Maharashtra Health Minister Deepak Sawant of Shiv Sena has submitted his resignation from the council of ministers to his party president Uddhav Thackeray after he was denied a ticket for the June 25 Legislative Council polls.

The resignation letter, however, has not been forwarded to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, with a close aide of the Sena chief saying that the party was contemplating if Sawant could be given a ticket to contest the Legislative Council polls next month.

Sawant is an MLC from a Graduate constituency but he has not been renominated by his party from the seat which is going to polls on June 25. His current term ends on July 7.

In Maharashtra, out of 78 members of the Legislative Council, 31 are selected by the State Assembly, 21 are selected by the local authorities, 12 are nominated by the Governor and 7 are elected each by the Graduates and Teachers Constituencies, respectively.

A typical character of a Graduate constituency is that a voter has to be possess at least a Graduate degress from a recognised university.

Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray, who is the son of Uddhav Thackeray, today said Sawant submitted his resignation from the council of ministers yesterday.

"Deepak Sawant has submitted his resignation (to Uddhav Thackeray) and he will now work for the party," the Yuva Sena chief said at an event here.

Yesterday, the Shiv Sena had fielded Vilas Potnis as its candidate in place of Sawant for the Mumbai Graduates seat.

Elections to four constituencies from the Upper House - Nashik Division Teachers', Mumbai Teachers', Mumbai Graduates' and Konkan Division Graduates' - will be held on June 25.

"Sawant's current term as MLC ends on July 7. He has submitted his resignation as minister to Uddhavji. But the party is considering whether he can be accommodated in the upper house (Legislative Council) in July," said an aide of Uddhav Thackeray, clearly referring to a non-Graduate seat.

He said there would be 11 vacancies in the Legislative Council on July 27 and the Shiv Sena has only one member in the House when it can have at least 2 since it has 63 MLAs.

Sawant, however, was present at the weekly cabinet meeting today.

Sawant was denied ticket to the Mumbai Graduates seat due to opposition from within the party, said the aide who did not want to be identified.

"This happens. But Sawant is an old party hand," he added.

Yesterday, when contacted, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said he had not received Sawant's resignation letter.