The BJP has 106 MLAs, Shiv Sena 56, NCP 53 and Congress has 44 MLAs. A total of 285 members cast their votes in the MLC polls. Former Home Ministers Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik, who are in judicial custody in money-laundering cases were not allowed to vote.
Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for the jailed lawmakers, submitted that not permitting the two from voting in MLC elections will effectively impact the rights of all voters who had elected the two lawmakers.
But the court agreed to examine concerns about the interpretation of Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, which bars a prisoner from voting.