RS polls: Sena unlikely to back Sambhaji Raje
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena on Tuesday announced that the party would field two candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections which are slated to be held for six seats from Maharashtra on June 10.
Sena is likely to renominate MP Sanjay Raut, whose term is ending on July 4, while the second candidate is not decided. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress – the two other partners in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – will field one candidate each.
State parliamentary affairs minister and Sena leader Anil Parab said MVA leaders would strategise how to get the fourth candidate elected at a time when Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje, who is contesting as an independent, had sought votes from all political parties. Party insiders said the leadership was open to giving candidature to Sambhaji Raje, a descendant of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji,
if he joined Sena. “At this point, I can only say that the second candidate of Sena will be elected to the Upper House. The candidate will be of the MVA from Sena’s quota,” said Parab, who is known to be close to chief minister and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The statement also suggests that the party is not willing to support Sambhaji Raje as an independent candidate. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has, on the other hand, already indicated that MVA constituents have enough votes to elect one candidate each and the coalition’s surplus votes can be given to Sambhaji Raje.
Sena insiders said Pawar and Thackeray on May 14 discussed the candidature for the Rajya Sabha, and decided that Thackeray would take the final call. “Uddhav ji is keen on nominating a Shiv Sainik to the Upper House, rather than supporting an outsider. Pawar saheb has cleverly expressed support to Sambhaji Raje so that there is no backlash from [a section of] Maratha [community]. Sena is open to giving him candidature if he joins the party,” a Sena leader said, requesting anonymity.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Monday said the Sena had the right to additional seats as it had more surplus votes. He also said the NCP chief had sought an additional seat in 2020 when it nominated Fauzia
Khan to the Rajya Sabha. “Last time [in March 2020], respecting the word of Pawar saheb, the chief minister gave two seats to the NCP. We wanted to nominate a woman member as well. Now, Thackeray saheb has the final word [in these polls],” Pawar said in Pune.
Sena intends to increase its current tally of three - Raut, Anil Desai and Priyanka Chaturvedi - in the Rajya Sabha.
To be elected to the Upper House, a candidate will need 42 votes. As per the current strength, the MVA has the support of 168 legislators. BJP has 106 legislators and has the backing of five Independents and one each from Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and Jan Suraajya.