In a development that has opened the possibility of cross-voting or horse-trading in the elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra, the Opposition BJP has put up three candidates in the race as against its strength to win two seats in the June 10 biennial RS polls
Given the strengths of major contending parties in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that is an electoral college for the polls, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – can win four out of six RS seats, while the BJP can win two seats.
Setting the cat among pigeons, the BJP has complicated the RS poll scene in the state by putting up Union Minister Piyush Goyal and its two other leaders Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik as candidates for the polls.
Together the MVA constituents have fielded four candidates. While the Shiv Sena has re-nominated Sanjay Raut for a fourth term and its Kolhapur district unit chief Sanjay Pawar, the NCP has re-fielded former Civil Aviation Minister Minister and Sharad Pawar’s confidante Praful Patel. On its part, the Congress has sprung a surprise by putting up Imran Pratapgarhi, a Uttar Pradesh-based Urdu poet.
