Mumbai: Maharashtra will vote on March 16 to fill seven Rajya Sabha vacancies, with the ruling Mahayuti alliance expected to dominate the numbers in the 288-member Assembly.
The BJP–Shiv Sena–NCP (Ajit Pawar) government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has 232 MLAs, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP) has 50. Based on this strength, Mahayuti is projected to secure six seats and the MVA just one.
Congress is now insisting that the MVA’s single seat should go to its nominee, leading to tough negotiations with its allies. The party’s urgency is linked to its current strength in the Rajya Sabha, where a party needs at least 25 MPs—10% of the House’s 245 members—to stake claim to the Leader of Opposition post.
Congress has 27 MPs in the Upper House, but the terms of several members—including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajani Patil, Phulo Devi Netam and K.T.S. Tulsi—are set to end, which could pull the tally below 25. In addition, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s term ends in June, and failure to win new seats could cost the party the post.
With the last date for filing nominations due on Wednesday, Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala has held multiple rounds of talks with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. He has also conveyed that Congress would back an Uddhav Sena candidate for a future vacancy in the Maharashtra Legislative Council in return for support now.
