Maha Deputy CM Shinde Welcomes Thackeray’s ‘Return To Hindutva’
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has welcomed his former leader Uddhav Thackeray's "radical change" in the form of his supposed 'return to Hindutva', on Wednesday.
Enjoying an absolute majority of 156 seats in the 182-member state legislative assembly, the ruling BJP here is confident of winning all three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat.
With a historic low of just 17 seats, the Opposition Congress has decided not the field any nominee for the three Rajya Sabha seats elections for which are scheduled on 24 July.
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These three Rajya Sabha seats had fallen vacant in August with the retirement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Dinesh Anavadiya and Jugalji Thakor, all representing the BJP in the Upper House.
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Renominated for a second term, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar filed his nomination here on Monday in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat BJP president C R Patil and other leaders.
The BJP has not yet declared the names of its other nominees for the remaining two Rajya Sabha seats from the Gujarat State Assembly.
The last date for filing of nominations is 13 July, by which time the ruling BJP is expected name its two other candidates for the Rajya Sabha.
With a consistent majority in the Gujarat assembly for last 28 years, the ruling BJP now holds as many as eight of the total eleven Rajya Sabha seats allocated to the state.
The current Congress strength of three Rajya Sabha seats would whither away after the next round of elections to the Upper House.
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