Sharad Pawar Facing Unprecedented Embarrassment Over Rajya Sabha Election

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar is facing an unprecedented embarrassing situation in his 57-year long political innings. Never having lost a single election, Pawar was tacitly acknowledged across Maharashtra’s political spectrum as the controlling pivot in deciding which candidate will win which election, till a decade ago. Unfortunately for him, the end of his Rajya Sabha term on 2 April is enveloped into suspense about his returning to Parliament. The present party statistics in Maharashtra assembly makes it clear that the combined Opposition, the so-called INDIA Bloc, can elect just one candidate to the Rajya Sabha, only if there is no cross-voting. Once upon a time, Pawar was the master of such manipulations. But now, he will have to depend upon the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress party to secure the required 38 votes in the 288-member lower house. The wish has been questioned following Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai’s unambiguous assertion that his party will not give up its claim for the seat, Pawar or no Pawar in the ring. Varun is extremely close to Uddhav and his son Aaditya Thackeray. Hence his rigid stand has sent warning signals in the INDIA camp as the Congress party, too, has been unable to declare its support of Pawar. Against this backdrop, Aaditya’s absence from two successive INDIA meetings to discuss the issue is considered vocal enough. All in all, Pawar is made an unwilling player in the power struggle.