- Sharad Pawar has expressed intent to contest April's Rajya Sabha elections, Sanjay Raut has said
- Sharad Pawar had previously ruled out contesting, citing age and planned retirement
- Ajit Pawar's death has delayed NCP factions' merger and altered political plans
Sharad Pawar, the biggest name in Maharashtra politics and considered the patriarch of Maharashtra politics, has expressed his desire to contest the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled in April, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut has said. Asked about the matter by NDTV, Sharad Pawar's faction of Nationalist Congress Party did not deny it.
Citing his age, Pawar, 85, had previously said he would not contest the Rajya Sabha elections this time. In his political career spanning over 50 years, Pawar has contested 14 elections and has not lost a single one.
When he announced his decision not to contest the Rajya Sabha election the last time, it was already decided that the two NCPs would merge and the veteran leader would retire from politics, handing the reins in Maharashtra to nephew Ajit Pawar and Delhi to daughter Supriya Sule. The formal merger was scheduled for February 12.
But Ajit Pawar's untimely death upset the plans and even the merger has been put on hold, with the two factions taking divergent paths.
Ajit Pawar's wife has since been inducted into the Maharashtra government to succeed him as the Deputy Chief Minister - making it clear that the faction will remain a part of the NDA. In his long political career, Sharad Pawar has never sided with the BJP.
Rohit Pawar, Sharad Pawar's grandson and considered his successor, meanwhile declared that Ajit Pawar's death was the result of a conspiracy and held media conferences in Mumbai and Delhi to demand a high-level investigation.
Under the circumstances, Sharad Pawar's return to the Rajya Sabha sends several political signals.
Many in the NC-SP are of the opinion that if the two NCPs are not reuniting, Sharad Pawar should not stay away from active politics.
His presence is expected to make a significant difference and he is seen as the one capable of formulating future strategies that may be in the best interest of both factions of the NCP.
The biggest question now is how Sharad Pawar can enter Rajya Sabha, as his party has only 10 MLAs in Maharashtra.
Elections for seven Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra are scheduled for April. Maharashtra has a total of 288 MLAs, and 37 votes are required for one Rajya Sabha seat. The NDA has 228 MLAs, with the BJP having 131, the Shiv Sena (Shinde) having 57, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) having 40.
This means the NDA can win six out of seven seats. Now, the NDA will decide which party contests how many seats. A 4-1-1 or 3-2-1 formula could be used: the BJP, the Shiv Sena (Shinde), and the NCP (Ajit).
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has 46 MLAs -- 20 from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), 16 from Congress and 10 from NCP (Sharad Pawar). This means that if the entire Opposition agrees on one name, it can ensure the victory of that candidate - which makes Sharad Pawar the obvious choice.
