Maharashtra: Rajya Sabha hopes dashed for Sharad Pawar, Sanjay Raut
It is another matter that the veteran and ageing Pawar had already announced that this would be his final term in the upper house of parliament
The rout of the Congress-led alliance in Maharashtra means that NCP founder-leader Sharad Pawar as well as Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena (UBT) cannot get re-elected in the Rajya Sabha when their current term ends.
It is another matter that the veteran and ageing Pawar had announced that this would be his final term in the upper house of parliament.
Massive defeat
The coalition of the Congress, NCP (SP) and Sena (UBT) crashed badly in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, winning just 49 seats against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led alliance’s whopping 235.
The lack of legislative support means that Pawar, Raut and Chaturvedi cannot return to the Rajya Sabha.
Maharashtra in Rajya Sabha
Elected for six years, Pawar and Chaturvedi will complete their terms by April 3, 2026 and Raut by July 22, 2028.
Maharashtra elects 19 members to the Rajya Sabha. Currently, the BJP holds seven seats in the upper house, the Congress three, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena one, Sena (UBT) two, Ajit Pawar’s NCP three, NCP (SP) two and the Republican Party of India (Athawale) one.