The Election Commission of India has set May 12 as the date for biennial elections to nine seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, including the seat vacated by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Voting will occur from 9 am to 4 pm, with results counted at 5 pm the same day, completing the electoral process by May 13. The elections are necessary as the terms of the nine members will end on May 13. Alongside these elections, a bypoll will be held for a seat left vacant by Congress member Pradnya Satav, who resigned to join the BJP. The voting process will require MLAs to cast votes twice on the same day, with a winning quota of 29 votes for the biennial elections and 144 votes for the bypoll. The ruling Mahayuti alliance is anticipated to win most seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to secure only one seat. Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal indicated that discussions had occurred regarding supporting Thackeray for a legislative council position, but any further proposals would require deliberation among MVA constituents.