The swearing-in ceremony for seven MLCs appointed by the Governor will be held at the Central Hall of Vidhan Bhavan at 12 PM today (October 15). Of the 12 Governor-appointed MLC positions, the names of seven have been sent to the Governor, while five seats remain vacant. The BJP has been allotted three seats, and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP have been allotted two seats each.
The ceremony will take place in the presence of Deputy Speaker Neelam Gorhe. Preparations for the swearing-in are currently underway at the legislature. After receiving approval from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the file was forwarded to the Governor on Monday, and the Governor gave his approval late last night.
From the BJP, Mahila Aghadi state president Chitra Wagh, state general secretary Vikrant Patil, and Babusingh Maharaj Rathod of Pohradevi Sansthan in Washim district (representing the Banjara community) have been nominated. Former MP Hemant Patil and former MLA Manisha Kayande have been selected by Shiv Sena, while Pankaj Bhujbal and Idris Nayakwadi have been chosen by the NCP for the Legislative Council. All seven appointees are set to take their oaths today.
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Eknath Shinde has rehabilitated both Hemant Patil and Manisha Kayande. Kayande’s term had recently ended, and she has been given another opportunity. Hemant Patil's nomination was initially cancelled due to BJP pressure, but he has now been appointed. Previously, Bhavana Gawli had also been nominated to the Legislative Council by Shinde’s faction.
On the NCP front, Ajit Pawar has focused on maintaining a social balance in his nominations. Pankaj Bhujbal and Idris Nayakwadi have been appointed as MLCs. Nayakwadi, a former mayor of Sangli, represents the Muslim community in western Maharashtra, while Bhujbal provides representation for the OBC community. Earlier, Sunetra Pawar and Nitinkaka Patil were nominated to the Rajya Sabha, and now both the OBC and Muslim communities have representation in the Legislative Council through these latest appointments.