Mumbai, February 26 The sole winnable Rajya Sabha seat for the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra is witnessing a dispute among the alliance constituents, with the Congress staking its claim on the seat on Thursday, citing its status as a national party, days after the Shiv Sena (UBT) said it had the "first right" over the seat.
Senior leaders of the MVA alliance, comprising the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Shiv Sena (UBT), held a meeting here on Thursday to discuss the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and seat allocation.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Congress's legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that the Congress, as a national party, has proposed that the Rajya Sabha seat be allocated to it.
The NCP (NCP) will consult with its party leadership, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) will also clarify its position, he said.
Expressing confidence that the issue of seat-sharing for the Rajya Sabha and the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections will be resolved through dialogue, Wadettiwar said that all parties will hold further consultations with their respective leaderships before arriving at a final decision.
"Although both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress have claimed 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 until March 5, and a final decision will be taken after discussions with alliance partners.
Wadettiwar said that the MVA's victory was certain if the alliance contested the election together.
Responding to a query about an incident in which civic employees reportedly performed namaz inside the municipal office in Malegaon town in Nashik district, Wadettiwar said that religious practices should not be carried out on roads, but added that during Ramazan, offering namaz on time is important for those who are fasting.
The issue was being unnecessarily politicised, and attempts were being made to divide society along religious lines, the Congress leader alleged.
In April, the Rajya Sabha terms for NCP (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, Fauzia Khan of NCP (NCP), Ramdas Athawale of RPI (Athawale), BJP's Bhagwat Karad, Congress's Rajani Patil, and NCP's Dhairysheel Patil will end.
The MVA can potentially send one candidate to the Upper House of Parliament due to its depleted strength.
Last week, Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray appeared to stake his party's claim to the MVA's sole 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 (NCP) 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 will vote in the election.