Shiv Sena Stakes Claim to Rajya Sabha Seat Amid Maha Vikas Aghadi Alliance Negotiations

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday staked claim to the lone Rajya Sabha seat that the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is expected to win in Maharashtra, setting the stage for tough negotiations within the alliance. Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray asserted that, going by the current strength of legislators, the Upper House berth “falls in our share”. “If you look at the numbers (of legislators), the Rajya Sabha seat falls in our share. Discussions within the MVA will certainly move in that direction,” Aaditya said, while clarifying that no formal seat-sharing talks have yet taken place between the Sena (UBT), the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction). With the MVA’s combined strength sufficient to secure only one of the seven Rajya Sabha seats from the state, the question of who gets to nominate a candidate has triggered internal jockeying. Earlier in the day, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had expressed his desire to contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls. Pawar’s current term ends in April. “When I spoke to Sharad Pawar, he clearly expressed his wish to return to the Rajya Sabha. He has said he is ready to contest. When a senior leader like him shows such intent, it requires serious discussion within the alliance,” Raut said. Sources indicated that while the Sena (UBT) and the Congress could back Pawar’s candidature, the Sena may press for a Legislative Council berth as part of a broader seat-sharing understanding within the MVA. Raut also said he had urged Uddhav Thackeray, whose Legislative Council term ends in May, to re-enter the House. “It is my personal view, and many colleagues agree, that Uddhav Thackeray’s presence in the legislature is important for organisational and legislative matters,” Raut said, adding that a decision is likely within a couple of days. The Election Commission of India has announced polling for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections on March 16. Of the seven seats from Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party is positioned to win four based on its current strength in the Assembly, while its allies — the Shiv Sena ( Eknath Shinde ) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) — can secure one seat each. The MVA, if it remains united, can win only one seat. A candidate requires 37 first-preference votes to be elected. The current Assembly strength stands at: BJP (131), Shiv Sena (Shinde) (57), NCP (Ajit Pawar) (40), Shiv Sena (UBT) (20), Congress (16), NCP (Sharad Pawar) (10), and Independents and others (12). Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said alliance partners must first clarify their political positions before arriving at a collective decision.