The Maharashtra government may recommend actor Urmila Matondkar’s name for nomination to the state Legislative Council. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will take a final decision on it, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Friday as speculations of the Bollywood actor’s nomination were rife. On Thursday, the Maharashtra cabinet discussed the proposal of recommending to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari the names of 12 candidates for their nomination to the Upper House of the state legislature from his quota.
Apart from Urmila Matondkar, the names of Marathi actor and Shiv Sena leader Aadesh Bandekar, singer Anand Shinde, BJP-turned-NCP leader Eknath Khadse, farmer leader Raju Shetti are also doing rounds.
“I have also heard about the speculation that Matondkar will be nominated by the government to the Council. It is the prerogative of the state cabinet, which has authorised CM Uddhav Thackeray to take a decision,” Sanjay Raut said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab has said leaders of the three allies of the Maha Vikas Aghadi will finalise the names and then forward it to the governor. These 12 council seats had fallen vacant in June this year.
Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the governor can nominate 12 members with special knowledge or practical experience in the field of literature, art, science, cooperative movement and social service to the state Legislative Council.
Under Article 171 of the Constitution, the governor can nominate 12 members with special knowledge or practical experience in the field of literature, art, science, cooperative movement and social service to the state Legislative Council.
The actor had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North constituency on a Congress ticket. Five months after she joined the party, she quit the Congress citing petty in-house politics. “My political and social sensibilities refuse to allow vested interests in the party to use me as a mean to fight petty in-house politics instead of working on a bigger goal in Mumbai Congress,” she had said.