Uddhav Thackeray set to be elected unopposed to Upper House

The crucial Maharashtra Legislative Council polls is all set to be unopposed. Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is one of the contestants and he will make his debut as a legislator, nearly six months after he took over the charge of the state.

He would be the second legislator from the Thackeray family, the other being his son Aditya, who is the state's Environment, Tourism and Protocol minister.

There is a total of nine vacancies in the Council. The names of 10 candidates have been declared by political parties for the nine seats.

On Sunday evening the Congress decided not to field Rajkishor Papa Modi, a day after his name was announced by the Maharashtra unit of Congress. The decision was taken after the three ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi partners - Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress met in Mumbai.

The Congress has settled for one seat and the candidate is Rajesh Rathod. The Shiv Sena, besides Thackeray, has named Dr Neelam Gorhe, the deputy chairperson of the Council.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has given tickets to Shashikant Shinde and Amol Mitkari. The BJP has fielded four candidates Ranjitsinh Mohite Patil, Praveen Datke, Gopichand Padalkar and Dr Ajit Gopchhede.

Datke is the Nagpur city BJP president while Dr Gopchade hails from Nanded and the state president of BJP's medical cell.

"The election to nine seats of Maharashtra Legislative Council is going to be unopposed. Taking into view the nomination of chief minister and the COVID-19 situation, the Congress has decided not to field its second candidate," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said thanking Maharashtra Congress president and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat and public works minister Ashok Chavan.