Guv, CM clash on council seats likely

Guv, CM clash on council seats likely

Prafulla.Marpakwar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  17.07.2020

A fresh cold war is brewing between Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray over the appointment of 12 eminent persons in the legislative council as nominees of Raj Bhavan.

The Governor nominates 12 eminent persons in the fields of literature, science, art, cooperative movement and social service on the legislative council. The seats have been vacant since June 15 after the six-year tenure of the outgoing MLCs ended.

If a senior Congress cabinet member is to be believed, it will not be smooth sailing as Koshyari has taken a stand that there is no urgency, especially considering the pandemic situation. “Raj Bhavan has informally expressed the view that the appointments can wait,” he said. Raj Bhavan did not respond to TOI’s message on nominations to the state legislative council.

The Congress minister said going by past experience, Raj Bhavan may not approve the list of nominees in the first go. In January, the MVA government had submitted a list of two NCP leaders— Shivajirao Garge and A Nalawadi —for appointment to two vacant seats in the council, but the proposal was never considered. Even Uddhav Thackeray, who had sought to be nominated from the Governor’s quota, had been snubbed and his nomination rejected on technical grounds.

“We fear even if we submit a list of eminent persons, Raj Bhavan will delay the appointments since, under the law, no time-frame can be fixed,’’ he said.

Uddhav Thackeray