Fissures in MVA: After Sena-UBT, Cong claims RS seat

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra is grappling with internal disputes as Congress and Shiv Sena-UBT vie for a crucial Rajya Sabha seat, threatening coalition unity ahead of upcoming elections.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi's lone winnable Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra is witnessing a tussle among the alliance constituents, with the Congress on Thursday staking claim over it citing its national party status, days after the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray said it has the 'first right' over the seat.

Senior leaders of the MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar and the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, on Thursday held a meeting here to deliberate on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and the seat allocation.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the Congress' legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said the Congress, being a national party, has proposed that the Rajya Sabha seat be allotted to it.

The NCP-SP would consult their party high command, while the Shiv Sena-UBT would also clarify its stand, he said.

Cong hopes to resolve issues with dialogue  

Expressing confidence that the issue of seat-sharing for the Rajya Sabha and the Maharashtra Legislative Council polls would be resolved through dialogue, Wadettiwar said all parties would hold further consultations with their respective leaderships before arriving at a final decision.

"Though both -- the Shiv Sena-UBT and the Congress -- have laid claim to the seat, the MVA will contest the election unitedly. The candidate will be finalised only with the consent of all three parties," he said, adding that nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls can be filed till March 5 and a final decision would be taken after discussions with alliance partners.

Wadettiwar said the MVA's victory was certain if the alliance contested the election together.

Responding to a query over an incident in which civic employees reportedly performed namaaz inside the municipal office in Malegaon town of Nashik district, Wadettiwar said religious practices should not be carried out on roads, but added that during Ramzan, offering namaz on time is important for those observing fasts.

The issue was being politicised unnecessarily and attempts were being made to divide society on religious lines, the Congress leader alleged.

In April, Rajya Sabha stint will end for NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, Sena-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, Fauzia Khan of the NCP-SP, Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India-Athawale, Bharatiya Janata Party's Bhagwat Karad, Congress's Rajani Patil and Nationalist Congress Party's Dhairysheel Patil.

The MVA can potentially send one candidate to the Upper House of Parliament due to its depleted strength.

Shiv Sena-UBT claims and MVA negotiations

Last week, Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray appeared to stake his party's claim to the MVA's lone winnable seat in the Upper House of Parliament.

Considering the numbers in the assembly, the Rajya Sabha seat 'belongs' to his party, and 'talks will definitely happen in that direction in the MVA', he had said.

Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut backed him saying, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Aaditya Thackeray said. We are the single largest party with 20 MLAs. The Congress has 16, and the NCP-SP has 10. Therefore, whoever gets elected to the Rajya Sabha will go as a candidate of the MVA. As the largest party, the Shiv Sena-UBT has the first right."

Raut had earlier said that Sharad Pawar had expressed a desire regarding contesting the Rajya Sabha berth.

Notification for the election to seven Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra was issued on Wednesday with polling scheduled for March 16.

The last day for filing nominations is March 5. Members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly vote in the election.