Sharad Pawar leads list of 7 Maharashtra Rajya Sabha candidates set for unopposed election

The seven candidates including the likes of veteran politician and NCP president Sharad Pawar and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, in the contest for the Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra are set to be elected unopposed. On the last date of filing nominations on Friday, only seven remained in the fray. The scrutiny will take place on March 16 and the last date for withdrawals is March 18, clearing the way for all the nominees getting elected without a contest.

Rajya Sabha polls to be unopposed in Maharashtra

Other leaders who have filed their nominations are - BJP's Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale, the 13th descendent of the Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi, AICC General Secretary, and Congress leader Rajiv Satav, BJP's Bhagwat Karad and NCP's Fauzia Khan. The retiring members are NCP's Pawar and Majeed Memon, Congress' Hussain Dalwai, Sena's Rajkumar Dhoot, BJP's Amar Sable and BJP-supported independent Sanjay Kakade.

Both the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the BJP fielded candidates as per their strength in the 288-member assembly and all the candidates will sail through without necessitating a contest. The required number of votes to get an RS seat elected is 37. With the current party positions in the State, the Sena and Congress will get one each, NCP two and the BJP will get three, including Athawale who is supported by the party.

Parties fielding candidates according to their strengths

The MVA's total strength is 170, including Sena's 56, NCP's 54 and Congress' 44, while the BJP has 105 plus the support of around nine other MLAs. Congress general secretary Rajiv Satav, Shiv Sena deputy leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, former NCP minister Fauzia Khan and BJP member Bhagwat Karad on Friday filed their nomination papers for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls from Maharashtra.

READ | Here's what Shivraj Singh Chouhan says about Rajya Sabha ticket to Jyotiraditya Scindia

READ | All three candidates set to be elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed from Assam

In Bhopal, former Union minister and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. From the Madhya Pradesh BJP office, Scindia reached the state Assembly secretariat around 2 pm and submitted his papers to the returning officer, Vidhan Sabha principal secretary A P Singh. Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state BJP president V D Sharma, outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Prabhat Jha and other party BJP leaders were present on the occasion.

READ | Congress' Rajya Sabha nominees list out; Priyanka Vadra speculation finally answered

READ | Rahul Gandhi claims he has no say in who Congress nominates to the Rajya Sabha

(With agency inputs)