Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Mar 2: Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator and former minister Aaditya Thackeray clarified that there is no deadlock in discussions over the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on March 16, reiterating that his party has a legitimate claim to contest the lone seat available to the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Posting on X, Thackeray said, “We have put forward our claim on the upcoming Rajya Sabha seat, as numerically and in terms of the rotation policy fixed for the MVA, the seat should be contested by the Shiv Sena (UBT). This also aligns with all the political stands that we have taken as the INDIA alliance.”
The statement follows a similar assertion from Varun Sardesai last Friday, who stressed that the seat rightfully belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. Sardesai noted that their legislative numbers have increased since 2020, when they supported NCP(SP) candidate Fauzia Khan, and maintained that the party will not relinquish its claim even if senior leaders such as Sharad Pawar express interest.
The dispute has intensified after Aaditya Thackeray highlighted that Shiv Sena (UBT) now holds the highest number of MLAs among MVA allies, arguing that the Rajya Sabha seat should therefore be allotted to them. While the alliance has sufficient numbers to safely elect one candidate, internal negotiations with Congress and NCP(SP) leaders have yet to produce a resolution.
Supriya Sule, NCP(SP) working president and MP, recently urged Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) to support Sharad Pawar’s re-election, citing widespread respect for the veteran leader. However, Sharad Pawar has not publicly declared his candidacy, leaving Congress and NCP representatives in discussions over the seat-sharing formula.
Currently, the ruling Mahayuti has 233 members—131 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 57 from Shiv Sena, and 40 from the NCP—enabling them to win six seats with support from smaller parties and independents. The opposition MVA, with 46 members—20 from Shiv Sena (UBT), 16 from Congress, and 10 from NCP(SP)—can secure only one seat, intensifying the internal competition for the nomination.