Sharad Pawar At 85 Still Interested In Another Rajya Sabha Term

The present party strength is such in the Maharashtra legislative assembly that the combined opposition can elect just one candidate to go to the Rajya Sabha. While NCP leader Sharad Pawar at 85 is still likely to be in the ring, the Congress and the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray have indicated that they are not too enthusiastic about the prospect. In the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, which is the electorate, the ruling BJP has 132 members. It is supported by the Shiv Sena led by deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s 57  and the NCP faction under deputy CM Sunetra Pawar’s 40. Thus, the ruling Mahyuti has about 220 MLAs on its side. On the other hand, the three major opposition parties have a joint strength of under 50. There are a handful of independents, too. Thus, the winning quota to enter the Rajya Sabha is of around 40 votes. Hence, it is barely sufficient for the Opposition to win one seat. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress are wary of standing by Sharad Pawar since they are afraid that he and his daughter Supriya Sule, MP, can switch over to the BJP or NDA at any moment. As of now, behind the door confabulations are gaining speed. Other notables who are retiring include RPI leader Ramdas Athawale, former Union minister Bhagwat Karad and Sena (UBT) Priyanka Chaturvedi. Their Rajya Sabha term ends on 2 April 2026.