Pawar’s Rajya Sabha play grabs spotlight amid Congress doubts

Mumbai: Maha Vikas Aghadi is not yet in sync on sending Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar to Rajya Sabha. While Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena and NCP-SP are keen, Maharashtra Congress has not yet reacted enthusiastically to the proposal.

Congress wants clarity on whether the two NCP factions are going to merge. If the two parties merge, then NCP could become a part of the ruling NDA which the Congress is not happy with. "NCP-SP faction is openly saying that the two parties will merge and is pushing for merger with a faction that is in NDA. It is clear that if they merge, then NCP will be part of NDA," said a Congress leader.

Congress is also miffed that UBT Sena and NCP-SP have unilaterally decided to send Pawar for another term without even bothering to consult Congress. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said, "The three parties have to sit together and talk on the issue. UBT Sena, Congress or NCP-SP have to state their stand."


If MVA allies vote together, then they have numbers to send a member to Rajya Sabha.

Pawar has not explicitly expressed his wish so far. However, sources said he would be willing to go if all three parties back his candidature. "Sharad Pawar has expressed his desire to contest the Rajya Sabha seat. We have held talks, he wants to contest," UBT Sena's Sanjay Raut said on Thursday.