Three-way fight between Rane, Patil and Hussain

Bearing in mind the success ratio of Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) combine in both houses of the Assembly, it is most likely that Congress will allow two seats for the upcoming polls. Congress will contest elections for one post against its two members who are retiring in July this year. However, the question is who will be the party high command’s choice — Narayan Rane, Harshwardhan Patil or MPCC chief Ashok Chavan’s choice Muzaffar Husain

For the first time in the history of the state legislature council, the chairman, vice chairman and opposition leader (LoP) of the House will be retiring in June and July this year. Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar and Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde’s term will end on 7 July. Whereas vice chairman Vasant Davkhares’s term will end on 8 June.

A NCP insider said that his party wanted Congress to support NCP as they wanted that their two constitutional posts should be retained.

“Yes, we want chairman Mr Nimbalkar and LoP Munde should be re-elected in the House and we are having dialogue with Congress,” said Nawab Malik, party spokesperson.

A senior Congress leader from All India Congress Committee (AICC) on condition of anonymity said, “Last year, NCP brought no confidence motion against Shivajirao Deshmukh, party’s senior most leader and then chairman of the Council House and he had to resign from his office. Now, how could we support NCP to re-elect their outgoing chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar and LoP Dhananjay Munde ” he questioned. On the other hand, another office bearer of AICC said though the decision was up to Congress high command, the Congress would not oppose NCP for short-term benefit. “Congress and NCP has performed aggressively against BJP and Shiv Sena during the last two sessions. If we hurt NCP, it will affect badly the upcoming sessions,” he said.