Maha Vikas Aghadi faces challenge as terms of Sharad Pawar as Rajya Sabha member, Uddhav Thackeray as MLC ends soon

The Opposition bloc in Maharashtra, which comprises Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), will go in for several rounds of consultations in the weeks ahead

Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is part of the Opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, faces a major challenge ahead as the terms of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, in the Rajya Sabha and the Maharashtra Legislative Council, respectively, end in the coming months.

The MVA, which comprises Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), will go in for several rounds of consultations in the weeks ahead. 

For the elections to the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council, the electoral college comprises the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, where the BJP-led Mahayuti, comprising Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the NCP, commands a brute majority. 

Following the death of Ajit Pawar, who was the Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president, the Assembly’s strength is 287.

The terms of Sharad Pawar (April 3, 2020 - April 2, 2026) and Uddhav Thackeray (May 14, 2020-May 13, 2026) will end back to back and this compounds the problem for the Opposition grouping.

The seven retiring members of the Rajya Sabha are: NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and party’s Fauzia Khan, BJP’s two members Dhairyashil Mohan Patil and Bhagwat Karad, RPI (A) chief and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, Congress’ Rajani Patil and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Priyanka Chaturvedi. 

Along with Thackeray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, eight others will retire from the Legislative Council. 

Mahayuti’s strength

In the House, the Mahayuti’s strength is BJP - 131 MLAs, Shiv Sena - 57 and the NCP - 40 (after Ajit Pawar’s death) plus support of JSS - 2, RSPS - 1, RSPA - 1, RSYP - 1 and an Independent member.

On the other hand, the MVA and the full Opposition strength includes Shiv Sena (UBT) 20, Congress - 16, NCP (SP) - 10, CPI(M) - 1, PWP - 1, SP - 2 and AIMIM - 1.

In the Rajya Sabha, if the MVA votes in unison, it can aim for one seat. 

Sharad Pawar has earlier indicated that he wants to hang up his boots from electoral politics, however, Thackeray’s aide and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut has pitched for the veteran in view of his importance and contributions to the State and national politics.

Similarly, for Thackeray’s election to the Legislative Council, the MVA has to be composite. In this, the Congress will have to play a major role. 

Post the elections to municipal corporations (29), municipal councils (246) and town panchayats (42) and zilla parishads (12) and panchayat samitis (125), the situation has changed.

Devendra Fadnavis' role

As far as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who calls the shots for the BJP, is concerned, he is known to spring surprises. The 2022 back-to-back Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council biennial elections surprised the MVA, which led to the split of the Shiv Sena and that of the NCP a year later.

Another important factor is the scenario post the death of Ajit Pawar and the possible merger of the NCP and the NCP (SP).