Rajya Sabha polls: AIMIM MLAs to vote for Congress candidate Imran Pratapgarhi in Maharashtra

AIMIM MP from Aurangabad, Imtiaz Jaleel, tweeted the party's decision hours before the polling saying "To defeat BJP, our party AIMIM has decided to vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra."

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Mumbai: In a bid to defeat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections from Maharashtra, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has decided to vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate as there are seven candidates in the fray for six seats. The AIMIM has two members in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

AIMIM's Maharashtra unit president and MP from Aurangabad, Imtiaz Jaleel, tweeted the party's decision hours before the polling saying "To defeat BJP, our party AIMIM has decided to vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra. Our 2 AIMIM Maharashtra MLAs have been asked to vote for the Congress candidate Imran Pratapgarhi."

To defeat BJP, our party AIMIM has decided to vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra. Our 2 AIMIM Maharashtra MLAs have been asked to vote for the Congress candidate Imran Pratapgarhi: Imtiaz Jaleel, AIMIM Maharashtra president pic.twitter.com/avKeuj88dG — ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2022

A few days ago, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has claimed that no one from the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra contacted them for support in the upcoming elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from the state. "If they want our support, they should contact us," Owaisi had told reporters in Nanded.

Notably, political parties in Maharashtra were engaged in hectic parleys to finalise their strategy for Friday's elections to six seats of Rajya Sabha from the state, which is witnessing a contest after more than two decades. The MVA allies - Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress - have shifted their MLAs to different hotels and resorts in Mumbai and they will be kept there till the polling process commences.

Maharashtra MLAs reach Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai for the Rajya Sabha elections. pic.twitter.com/ULpy1V7m0A — ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2022

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP leader and Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held meetings with leaders of their respective parties here on Thursday and finalised the strategy for the polls.

The 288-member Legislative Assembly is the electoral college for the elections. But the total votes have come down to 285 since there is a vacancy due to the death of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke and a special court on Thursday rejected the pleas filed by minister Nawab Malik and former minister Anil Deshmukh seeking a day's bail to vote in the elections.

State NCP president Jayant Patil said the party was upset with the court's decision. "None of them (Malik and Deshmukh) are convicted. So by rejecting their bail plea, they have been deprived of their constitutional right to vote," PTI quoted him as saying.

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who was found infected with COVID-19 a few days back, tested negative on Thursday, can now participate in the voting process along with other members of the Assembly.  Union minister Piyush Goyal, Anil Bonde, Dhananjay Mahadik (BJP), Praful Patel (NCP), Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar (Shiv Sena) and Imran Pratapgarhi (Congress) are in fray for the six seats. The contest is for the sixth seat - between BJP's Mahadik and Sena's Pawar.

Ahead of polls today, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat told ANI, "All four candidates of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will win in the first preference vote itself."

All four candidates of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will win in the first preference vote itself: Balasaheb Thorat, Congress leader on #RajyaSabhaElection2022 pic.twitter.com/wrKcQIhl73 — ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2022

Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44 , BJP 106, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) three, Samajwadi party, AIMIM and Prahar Janshakti party two each, MNS, CPI(M), PWP, Swabhimani Party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, Jansurajya Shakti party, Krantikari Shetkari Party one each, and there are 13 independent legislators.

The quota for first preference votes to get a candidate elected has come down to 41. Congress and NCP have decided to transfer their second preference votes to Shiv Sena's Sanjay Pawar. In the fight for the sixth seat, both MVA parties and BJP are banking on the 25 additional votes of smaller parties and independents. 

(Inputs from ANI/PTI)