11 MLCs take oath in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Jul 28 (PTI) Eleven newly-elected legislators took oath as members of the Maharashtra legislative council at the Vidhan Bhavan here on Sunday.

BJP MLCs Pankaja Munde, Parinay Fuke, Yogesh Tilekar, Amit Gorkhe, and Sadabhau Khot, NCP’s Rajesh Vitekar and party general secretary Shivajirao Garje, Shiv Sena’s Bhavana Gawali and Krupal Tumane, were sworn in.

Congress’s Pradnya Satav and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Milind Narvekar also took oath at the central hall of the state legislature.

Talking to reporters, MLC Gorkhe said, “During the Lok Sabha elections, the opposition attempted to spread a false narrative regarding the Constitution. It is my resolve to collaborate with the party to dispel this disinformation.”

The BJP legislator said there were 59 Scheduled Castes in Maharashtra, and he plans to tour the state to unite the community and work for their betterment.

Pankaja Munde, daughter of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde, said, “I will become the voice of people who don’t have any say in politics. I miss my father today, as he gave me a lot of guidance.”

Asked whether she would be inducted into the state cabinet, Munde said she was unaware of such a development.

She further said that the OBCs and Marathas must work together instead of standing against each other, and it is a fact that the situation has worsened in the state.

Bhavana Gawali, MLC from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, ended her oath by saying “Jai Eknath”.

“The one who takes care of everyone is called Eknath. With his blessings, I got an opportunity to serve the people of Mumbai,” Gawali told reporters later.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP won all the nine seats it contested in polls to 11 seats of the state legislative council held on July 12.

The BJP won five seats, while the Shiv Sena and NCP bagged two seats each. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress won one seat each, while PWP leader Jayant Patil, backed by the NCP (SP), lost.