With senior Congress MPs like Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajni Patil, Phulodevi Netam, and KTS Tulsi set to retire, the party’s strength in the Rajya Sabha could fall below the 10% threshold. To avert this, Congress functionaries have approached Shiv Sena (UBT) to secure the seat from Maharashtra in case the party loses Rajya Sabha seats in other states. The appeal comes as the Congress has emphasized the importance of the seat in the “national interest.”

Political Tensions Over Seat Allocation

The development has raised fresh questions about the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (SP)’s demand that Sharad Pawar be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. A senior Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary said that NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule met Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday to push for Sharad Pawar’s name for the seat. However, even after the meeting, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said no name has been finalized.

Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Monday claimed there is no deadlock in talks for the Rajya Sabha seat. “All parties are in communication with each other. We have put forward our claim on the upcoming Rajya Sabha seat, as numerically and in terms of the rotation policy fixed for the MVA, the seat should be contested by the Sena (UBT). This also aligns with all the political stands that we have taken as the INDIA alliance,” Aaditya said in a post on X.

Internal Party Dynamics and Alliances

While Congress and Sena (UBT) are in talks over the seat, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has pitched for Sharad Pawar, stating repeatedly that he will fight the Rajya Sabha polls. Raut has said there is no doubt in his mind that Pawar will contest. On Monday, Raut said Pawar will never go with NDA, in an indirect reference to arguments made by both Raut’s own party and Congress that there is uncertainty about NCP (SP) as there are talks about the merger of the two NCPs.

Raut acknowledged that both the UBT Sena and Congress had their own “worries” about the seat. “Congress is worried about the LoP, and Sena (UBT) is worried about its two seats in Rajya Sabha,” Raut said.

A Congress functionary said, “The Congress has said that during the MLC polls, it will back the Sena (UBT) for re-nominating Uddhav Thackeray as his MLC term is ending in April. Getting the RS seat is not merely a party-centric demand but is essential for maintaining stability within both the INDI bloc at the Centre and the MVA in Maharashtra. So we have told the Sena (UBT) that the move is not just an MVA demand but essential for the INDI bloc at the Centre.”

Implications for Rajya Sabha Polls

The Rajya Sabha polls are scheduled for March 16. Seven Rajya Sabha MPs from the state are retiring on April 2. According to the numbers in the state assembly, six candidates of the Mahayuti will be elected to the Rajya Sabha, and if the BJP puts up a seventh candidate, there could be a close fight.

The outcome of these discussions could have significant implications for the political landscape in Maharashtra and at the national level. The seat allocation not only affects the balance of power in the Rajya Sabha but also has ramifications for the stability of the INDIA alliance at the Centre. With the March 16 polls fast approaching, the final decision on the seat remains uncertain.

As the political maneuvering continues, the focus remains on how the allocation of the Rajya Sabha seat will impact the broader political alliances and governance structures in both Maharashtra and India.