Urmila Matondkar, 46, last year contested the national election as a Congress candidate (File)
Actor Urmila Matondkar may be recommended by the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government for the state legislative council. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will decide on it, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Friday.
Urmila Matondkar's name is likely to be among 12 candidates that are nominated by the Governor to the state legislature's upper house on the recommendation of the state government.
"I have also heard about the speculation that Urmila Matondkar will be nominated by the government to the Council. It is the prerogative of the state cabinet, which has authorised Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to take a decision," said Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha member and chief spokesperson of the Shiv Sena, according to Press Trust of India.
Urmila Matondkar, 46, last year contested the national election as a Congress candidate from Mumbai North constituency. She lost the election. Later, she quit the Congress accusing party leaders of factionalism and working against their own candidate.
Ms Matondkar recently hit out at actor Kangana Ranaut, who is engaged in an ugly feud with Uddhav Thackeray and the Shiv Sena over her "Mumbai-PoK" comments.
A state governor is mandated by the constitution to nominate to the legislative council 12 members from the fields of literature, art, science, cooperative movement and social service.
The Maharashtra cabinet met on Thursday to discuss names. The three parties in the ruling coalition -- Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress -- will each field four members.
State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab dismissed talk of secrecy over the names and said, "Leaders of the three MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) allies will finalise the names and submit the list to the
chief minister, who will forward it to the governor."
According to PTI, the names of Marathi actor and Shiv Sena leader Aadesh Bandekar, singer Anand Shinde, NCP leader Eknath Khadse (he quit BJP recently) are also being considered.