MLC polls: 'Pawar's decision on contesting seats acceptable'

A day after Sharad Pawar said respective parties would contest the seats they are holding currently in the upcoming Maharashtra legislative council elections, the Congress said the decision of the NCP chief is acceptable.

Maharashtra Congress unit president Ashok Chavan said the discussions are on over the Latur seat only.

"NCP chief Sharad Pawar's decision of contesting the sitting seats by respective parties is acceptable," he said.

The biennial elections to the Legislative Council from six local bodies' constituencies will be held on May 21.

Current MLC from Latur seat Dileep Deshmukh, a former minister and the brother of late chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, is unlikely to contest due to health issues.

The six local authorities constituencies going to polls are: Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Nashik, Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli, Parbhani-Hingoli, Amravati, and Osmanabad-Latur-Beed.

Out of the six seats, three are currently held by the NCP, two by the BJP and one by the Congress.

Besides the MLC polls, bypolls to Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seats and Kadegaon Palus assembly segment in Sangli district would be held next month.

The byelections to Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia seats were necessitated due to the death of sitting MP (BJP) Chintaman Vanaga and resignation of sitting MP Nana Patole, also of the BJP, respectively.

The assembly bypoll was necessitated due to death of former Maharashtra minister and sitting MLA Patangrao Kadam.

After resigning as the MP, Patole had joined the Congress last year.

He joined the Congress but whether he will re-contest the same seat or not is going to be decided by senior Congress leaders in Delhi, Chavan said.

With 2019 Lok Sabha polls fast approaching, many candidates have backed out from the contest.

He said the Congress would contest the Palghar seat.

"The current opinion in the party for Kadegaon Palus assembly seat is that someone from late Patangrao Kadam's family should contest the election," the Congress leader said.

Late Kadam's son Vishwajeet is said to be the obvious choice as he has been active in politics.

"There has been a tradition to field a family member when a seat is vacated after the demise of a prominent leader. The assembly elections, as per the term of the government, will be held in October next year," said a Congress leader.