Mumbai: Days after Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said MVA’s lone winnable Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra “belongs” to his party owing to its strength in the assembly, MP Sanjay Raut said as the largest constituent in the opposition alliance, the party has the “first right” to it. “I said that as a senior leader, (NCP-SP chief) Sharad Pawar has expressed his wish [to contest the election]. But now the political situation has changed. He is a senior leader of MVA. We will sit together and make a collective decision. But it must first be accepted that as the largest party, Sena (UBT) has the primary claim,” Raut said, adding that Pawar has not officially declared his candidature so far. Raut had earlier said Pawar must fight the Rajya Sabha polls and that MVA had enough numbers to get him re-elected.The terms of seven Rajya Sabha members, including Pawar’s, will end on April 2. Elections are to be held on March 16. Given their strength in the state legislature, BJP will be able to elect four Rajya Sabha members, and Shiv Sena and NCP one each. MVA can elect only one member if all constituent parties vote jointly. —Chaitanya Marpakwar
