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Nationalist Congress Party-SCP MP Supriya Sule on Wednesday expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the allies of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), particularly the Congress and the Shiv Sena-UBT, for naming her father, Sharad Pawar, for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
Speaking to ANI, Sule said, "I am eternally grateful to the Congress and Shiv Sena for the large-heartedness they have shown." Her remarks come following Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar's, who earlier said that the party high command has approved the veteran politician's candidature from the MVA for the upcoming polls in the upper house. "We have received a sign from the high command... Sharad Pawar will be the candidate from Maha Vikas Aghadi... As a national party, we should receive a place in the Rajya Sabha," Wadettiwar told ANI. The Congress MLA, during a press conference earlier today, said the party will support Sharad Pawar for the upcoming polls in the upper house, following a call from the high command and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. He added that while Congress had initially claimed the seat, coordination with NCP and adherence to MVA ethics led to backing Pawar, reflecting unity among alliance partners ahead of crucial elections. "We had claimed the Rajya Sabha seat because our party is a national party. There was a strong demand for it. However, many leaders from the NCP Sharad Pawar faction contacted us and also reached out to Uddhav Thackeray. Among them, Sharad Pawar is the senior-most... We are abiding by the ethics of the MVA. Our high command has decided to support Pawar Saheb. We've received a call that Mallikarjun Kharge has decided that Pawar Saheb should be supported," Wadettiwar said to reporters. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Congress high command held a meeting at Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi's residence in the national capital to discuss the selection of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls. The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the upcoming biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states, as the members are set to complete their term in April 2026, a press note stated. According to the press note, the term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. The notification will be issued on February 26, commencing the election process. The last date of nominations is March 5, followed by scrutiny on March 6. The candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 9. The polling is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm. (ANI)
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