Express News Service
MUMBAI: With seven candidates in fray for six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra, ‘resort politics’ has come into play in the MVA-ruled state as well. Going by the numbers in the Assembly, the BJP will bag two seats while three MVA candidates will sail through. For the sixth seat, a high-voltage contest is expected between Shiv Sena’s second candidate Sanjay Pawar, supported by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, and BJP’s third candidate, Dhananjay Mahadik.
Earlier in day, a MVA delegation led by NCP leader Chagan Bhujbal met BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis to pursue him to withdraw Mahadik from the race in exchange for an additional seat in the upcoming state Legislative Council elections. “The BJP leadership refused the offer and instead made the same counter-offer to the MVA, which the Shiv Sena rejected,” said a NCP minister.
The Sena has now asked its MLAs to be in Mumbai and all of them will camp in a five-star hotel on June 8-9 to avoid poaching by the BJP. Other parties are also likely to follow suit. In Maharashtra, based on the total seats in the Assembly, each candidate requires at least 42 votes to win. The BJP has 105 MLAs and Piyush Goel and Anil Bhonde are sure to get elected. From the Aghadi, Prafulla Patel (NCP), Imran Pratapgarhi (Congress) and Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena) are ensured of victory.
