MVA Backs Sharad Pawar For Rajya Sabha Seat
“I express my gratitude to the Maha Vikas Aghadi. We met Uddhav Thackeray just yesterday. Following that meeting, both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress have officially declared their support. We will all be present tomorrow for the filing of Sharad Pawar’s nomination papers”: Supriya Sule
MUMBAI: All decks appear clear for former Union minister Sharad Pawar to return to the Rajya Sabha. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Wednesday announced Mr. Pawar as its candidate for a Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra, with the Indian National Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) extending support. With this development, elections for the seven Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra are likely to be unopposed.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference attended by Supriya Sule, Congress State president Harshvardhan Sapkal, and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar. Ms. Sule clarified that both the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have formally backed Mr. Pawar’s candidature.
“I express my gratitude to the Maha Vikas Aghadi. We met Uddhav Thackeray just yesterday. Following that meeting, both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress have officially declared their support. We will all be present tomorrow for the filing of Sharad Pawar’s nomination papers,” Ms. Sule said.
Mr. Sapkal confirmed the Congress’s decision to support Mr. Pawar. “As a national party, the Congress was expecting the Rajya Sabha candidature to come to us. However, after discussions with party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and general secretary K. C. Venugopal, it was decided to support senior leader Sharad Pawar,” he said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has 20 MLAs, while the Congress and the NCP (SP) have 16 and 10 MLAs, respectively. As a candidate requires 36 votes to secure a Rajya Sabha seat, the Maha Vikas Aghadi is assured of victory on one seat if it fields a joint nominee.
Earlier, all three parties had staked claim to the seat. While the Congress cited its national party status, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had said his party had the “first right” to the seat as the largest constituent of the alliance.
Polling for the seven Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra will be held on March 16. The seats are falling vacant in April. Among those retiring are BJP leaders Bhagwat Karad and Dhairyashil Patil; NCP (SP)’s Mr. Pawar and Fauzia Khan; Congress’s Rajani Patil; Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi; and Ramdas Athawale.
