After Sena (UBT), now Congress stakes claim to RS seat from Maharashtra

Mumbai: Differences within the Maha Vikas Aghadi-INDIA opposition bloc surfaced once again with the Congress staking claim for the lone winnable Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra.

This occurred while Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) seem to be unanimous over the name of veteran politician Sharad Pawar.

However, the grand old party, which leads the opposition alliance nationally, made it clear that the MVA would contest the polls unitedly.

MVA partners met at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai on Thursday -- the first round of joint talks between the three parties.

A series of meetings are scheduled over the next few days to sort out the issue.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Congress' legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said the Congress, being a national party, has proposed that the Rajya Sabha seat be allotted to it. “The NCP (SP) would consult their party high command, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) would also clarify its stand,” said Wadettiwar, a former two-time Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly and former minister.

The statement of Wadettiwar comes at a time when Sharad Pawar’s daughter, NCP (SP) Working President and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut were pitching for another term for the veteran politician.

However, last week, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray appeared to stake his party's claim saying that the Rajya Sabha seat 'belongs' to his party and its turn, and 'talks will definitely happen in that direction in the MVA’.

Speaking further, Wadettiwar said that even though the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress -- have laid claim to the seat, the MVA will contest the election unitedly.

“The candidate will be finalised only with the consent of all three parties….5 March is the final date of filing nominations and we will take a call after discussions,” said Wadettiwar.