Seven Candidates, Including Sharad Pawar, File Nominations for Rajya Sabha Seats in Maharashtra Seven candidates, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, submitted their nominations for Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra on Thursday. This move ensures that six candidates from the ruling Mahayuti alliance—comprising Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, BJP leader Vinod Tawde, and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) nominee Pawar—will be elected unopposed. The political landscape in Maharashtra saw intense maneuvering as parties vied for influence ahead of the election. The Election Commission had announced the contest for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states, with seven from Maharashtra. The Mahayuti alliance, with its numerical strength, is expected to secure six seats, while the MVA can claim one. Speculation about additional candidates from the ruling party was tempered by the BJP’s decision to field only four names, a gesture of respect for Pawar if he was nominated as the MVA candidate. The NCP also emphasized that the election would remain unopposed only if Pawar was the MVA nominee, prompting the opposition to rally behind him despite internal tensions. The MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), faced internal strife over the candidature. The Shiv Sena, the largest opposition party in Maharashtra with 20 MLAs, and the NCP, the smallest with 10 legislators, both sought to claim the seat. The winning threshold in Maharashtra is 36 votes, a number the Congress and Shiv Sena could have combined to meet. However, both parties hesitated to endorse Pawar, fearing it would weaken their positions.#maharashtra #rajya_sabha #sharad_pawar #shiv_sena_ubit #mahayuti_alliance
Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) resolves Rajya Sabha candidate dispute The MVA alliance in Maharashtra resolved its internal conflict on March 4, 2026, by officially selecting Sharad Pawar as its sole candidate for the Rajya Sabha election. This decision effectively removes opposition from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, paving the way for an unopposed contest in the state. The Congress central leadership endorsed Pawar’s candidacy, abandoning its own claim and rejecting Shiv Sena’s demand for a joint alignment. Sources close to the Congress revealed that the decision followed Shiv Sena (UBT)’s refusal to support a proposed collaboration with the Congress for a single candidate. A senior Congress leader confirmed that the MVA will now back Uddhav Thackeray for his second attempt at the Maharashtra Legislative Council election. The Rajya Sabha seat requires 36 votes, with Shiv Sena (UBT) holding the largest share of 20 MLAs, followed by Congress with 16 and the NCP (SP) with 10. The MVA constituents—Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP)—initially contested the Rajya Sabha candidature. Congress argued that its national party status necessitated a stronger presence in the upper house to bolster its Leader of the Opposition role. Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed its position as the largest opposition party in Maharashtra justified its bid, while the NCP (SP) emphasized Pawar’s stature as a guarantee for an unopposed victory. Leaders from both Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) described the dispute as emotionally charged, with neither party willing to appear dismissive of Pawar’s aspirations. Pawar, who has been unwell, expressed a desire to enter the Rajya Sabha, and his daughter Supriya Sule voiced concerns about his health.#maharashtra #congress #sharad_pawar #maha_vikas_aghadi #shiv_sena_ubit
