Three BJP candidates file nominations, stage set for fierce contest in Rajya Sabha polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) decision to field a third candidate has made the Rajya Sabha polls interesting with a fight poised between Mhadik and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Pawar. Both hail from Kolhapur city in Western Maharashtra.

Speaking to the media after filing of nominations, opposition leadernDevendra Fadnavis said, “We have fielded three candidates and arebconfident of their victory. We are tooth and nail opposed to horse trading. Our decision to field a third candidate was based on our strategy that we have adequate votes.”

Fadnavis said, “Our political rivals are making baseless charge of horse trading as they are not confident to get their own candidates elected.”

The 288 members in the state legislative assembly constitute the voters for the seats. Following the demise of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Latke recently, the number of voters have been reduced to 287.

The party wise strength in state assembly is as follows: the BJP (105), the Shiv Sena (55), the Congress (44) and the NCP (54). The smaller parties/independents together add up to 29 members.

The Shiv Sena has fielded two candidates – Sanjay Raut and Pawar. The Sena’s decision to field the second candidate is being viewed as an attempt to show its mights vis a vis the BJP.

The number of votes required to get one candidate elected to Rajya Sabha is 42. To get all three candidates elected, the BJP will require 126 votes. The BJP, presently, has 105. Which means it will have to cobble up 21 votes from smaller parties/independents to get its third candidate, Mhadik, elected.

Similarly, the Shiv Sena with 55 votes can easily manage to get a candidate through based on required quota of 42. For second candidate, the Sena, with the support of the Congress and the NCP, has surplus votes of 27. This means it will have to elicit 15 more votes from independents/smaller parties.

On the other hand, the Congress’s lone candidate, Imran Pratapgadi, who filed the nomination papers on Monday, is in a comfortable position. Of the total 44 votes, he will require just 42 votes. The remaining two votes will be transferred to the Sena. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which fielded senior leader and former Union minister Praful Patel, too is sitting pretty. Of the total 54 votes, Patel will sail through safely, requiring just 42. The remaining 12 votes will be pledged to Sena.

NCP state president Jayant Patil said, “We are confident that all

the candidates fielded by the Sena, the NCP and the Congress will emerge with flying colours.”

The BJP’s decision to thrust a contest was unfortunate, he said. “We will wait and watch. There is a possibility that they will withdraw their third candidate on the last day of withdrawal,” he said.

To this, BJP’s Fadnavis said, “Where is the question of thrusting contest. Terms of three BJP candidates – Piyush Goyal, Vikas Mahatme and Vinay Sahastrabuddhe – have come to end this month.

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To replace three outgoing candidates, we nominated three. Why shouldn’t we when we are sure of winning?”

The BJP has given preference to all local and state candidates, he said in a dig at the Congress which has fielded an outsider, Pratapgadi from Uttar Pradesh, from Maharashtra quota.

State Congress chief Nana Patole said, “The Congress has given an opportunity to a young and dynamic candidate who is loyal to the organisation. The decision was taken by the party high command. There is no unrest in the party.”

Patole also attacked the BJP for fielding a third candidate, making a contest inevitable. “The BJP is likely to misuse money power. It is a clear case of encouraging horse trading in Rajya Sabha polls,” he said.