RS polls: Beleaguered Pawar cornered at home turf

“I have met AICC incharge for Maharashtra A K Antony who has given me the go ahead after Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and PCC chief Manikrao Thakre gave a nod in this regard,” he told reporters here.

Gidwani said that he has already filed his nomination with the support of 17 members associated with the Congress and was expecting backing from among the 53 members who are not associated with any of the major parties.

Replying to a question,he indicated that his candidature could be a threat to the NCP nominee as Pawar’s party has put up two candidates when it could win only one seat on its own and its second nominee will need the support of 24 others to romp home.

NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar has been re-nominated by the party which has also fielded Ishwarchand Jain,a long-time Pawar supporter for stint in the Upper House.

The candidature of Gidwani could be a tit-for-tat by the Congress to Pawar’s party which had joined hands with Shiv Sena and BJP in 2006 by fielding industrialist Rahul Bajaj as Independent against Congress nominee Avinash Pande who lost.

Pande has been nominated by the Congress this time along with a re-nomination for Vijay Darda.

While Congress has 82 MLAs,NCP has 62,BJP 46 and Shiv Sena 45. Congress and NCP have put up two candidates each,while BJP and Shiv Sena have fielded one each.

Elections are being held for six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is June 10. Elections will be held on June 17.

Forty-two first preference votes are required by a candidate for a straight win in the Rajya Sabha poll.

Gidwani said he plans to meet Pawar to seek support for a smooth sail to the Upper House.

Asked whether he has approached the Raj Thackeray-led MNS which has 11 MLAs,he said that he has not done it so far but would be requesting that party to back him.

If Gidwani continues in the fray,a contest in the elections would become inevitable in Maharashtra.

Incidentally,as a Shiv Sena candidate Gidwani had defeated Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections over a decade back. Deshmukh had contested the elections as an Independent.