Chaitanya.Marpakwar Mumbai: Ten newly elected Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), including six from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took their oaths on Thursday at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. The ceremony marked the formal induction of these members into the Maharashtra Legislative Council.
Election Details
Last week, all ten candidates in the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls were elected unopposed. The successful candidates included Shiv Sena's Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s former Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve, and former minister Bacchu Kadu. The BJP secured six seats, while the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) won one seat as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. One of the seats became vacant due to the mid-term resignation of a sitting member, while the others were filled through biennial elections.
Zeeshan Siddique's Oath in English
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC Zeeshan Siddique, who was also elected unopposed, took his oath in English. Reflecting on his choice, Siddique stated, "Last time as well, I think when I contested the 2019 election, I was probably the only one who took the oath in English. I am an educated youngster, and I believe taking the oath in English is a good thing. I had taken it in English last time, too, so there is nothing much to think about in this. I did it then, and I have done it again this time as well."
Siddique further elaborated on his stance, saying, "I feel that as we progress as a country, everyone should be able to speak English. And whether someone takes the oath in English, Hindi, Marathi, or any other language, all languages belong to us, so there is no need to think too much about it."
Dignitaries Present
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by several prominent figures, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, Deputy Speaker Anna Bansode, and Ministers Chandrakant Patil, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and Shambhuraj Desai, among other dignitaries.
