MUMBAI: The stage is set for a bruising contest for the state legislative council polls on June 20, with the parties fielding 11 candidates for the 10 vacant seats. BJP has put up five, Congress and Shiv Sena two each, and NCP is expected to nominate two.
The nominations threw up some surprises, with BJP ignoring Pankaja Munde and Vinod Tawde and Sena retiring party old-timers Subhash Desai, also industry minister, and Diwakar Raote. Congress played it safe with an eye on the BMC elections and NCP is almost certain to nominate Eknath Khadse, who left BJP in disgrace and has been waiting to be rehabilitated by NCP.
