Uddhav Thackeray had declared that he and his family have assets worth Rs 143.26 crore
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has been sworn in as a Member of Legislative Council which facilitates his continuation in office beyond May 28.
There were no elections held for nine seats in the legislative council and Mr Thackeray was elected unopposed, something he had insisted on amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Maharashtra being the worst-hit state.
Mr Thackeray, 59, had till May 28 to become a member of one of the houses of the Maharashtra legislature, according to the Constitution. When he took oath as Chief Minister on November 28 last year, he was not a member of either houses of the Maharashtra legislature. The six-month period for Mr Thackeray was due to end on May 28.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as a Member of Legislative Council.
The election was held after a massive political tussle between the Governor and the state government as Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari refused to take a call on the cabinet's recommendation to nominate Mr Thackeray from the Governor's quota.
It took a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for the Governor to act, with Mr Koshiyari finally recommending to the Election Commission the holding of the election. The poll body has postponed all elections because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Ultimately, no election was required as there were only nine candidates for the nine seats.
Uddhav Thackeray, contesting his first election for a constitutional post, had declared that he and his family have assets worth Rs 143.26 crore, including movable and immovable property. He also stated that he does not own a car. He had put his liabilities at Rs 15.50 crore, including loans.
In his first election affidavit submitted before the Election Commission, Mr Thackeray had revealed details of his financial assets and sources of income. His wife Rashmi Thackeray, who is also editor of the Shiv Sena mouthpiece ''Saamana'', earns her income from various businesses, according to the affidavit.
Mr Thackeray's elder son, Aaditya, is already a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Mumbai's Worli constituency and is a minister in his father's cabinet. The 29-year-old holds the Tourism, Environment and Protocol portfolios in the Maharashtra government.