Mumbai

Bharatiya Janata Party will contest four of the nine seats in the upcoming biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council scheduled next month, according to party sources.

Strategy Meeting Led by Fadnavis

A core committee meeting of the state BJP, chaired by Devendra Fadnavis, was held in Mumbai on Wednesday night to finalise strategy for both the biennial polls and a bypoll for one vacant council seat.

The by-election was necessitated after Pradnya Satav resigned from the council and joined the BJP.

Candidate Names Sent for Approval

Sources said probable candidates were discussed and shortlisted names would be sent to the party’s central leadership for final approval. BJP is also expected to field a candidate for the bypoll seat.

Retiring Members

Nine current council members are set to retire on May 13, including:

• Uddhav Thackeray
• Neelam Gorhe

Poll Schedule

According to the Election Commission of India:

• Polling Date: May 12
• Counting: May 12 at 5 pm
• Process Completion: May 13

READ MORE: West Bengal Polls: In first phase, 152 seats outcome crucial for Mamata, BJP

Likely Outcome

Based on current numbers in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the ruling Mahayuti — comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party — is expected to win up to nine of the ten seats (including the bypoll).

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi is likely to secure only one seat.