Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray set to enter Legislative Council unopposed

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is all set to enter the Legislative Council unopposed as the Congress on Sunday decided to withdraw one of its two nominees for the May 21 elections to nine seats.

State Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said, "We have decided to field only one out of two nominees for the MLC elections, which means the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) will have five nominees for as many seats (out of the total nine)".

The BJP has fielded four candidates. 

The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress will get five seats, while the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party will get four, without a contest.

Late on Saturday evening, the Congress had unexpectedly fielded a second nominee - Rajkishor Modi alias Papa Modi - as the 10th candidate in the fray, besides senior Jalna leader, Rajesh Rathod, which would have necessitated an unwanted election.

But none of the parties including the Sena-NCP and the BJP were keen on a contest and efforts started late on Saturday to convince the Congress to take back the name of Papa Modi, a highly respected leader from Beed.

Late this evening, after a long meeting among the MVA partners, state Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat announced that the party has decided to withdraw the candidature of Papa Modi.

(With inputs from agencies)