NCP renominates Praful Patel for RS polls to avoid friction over candidature

According to NCP insiders, the reason for the curious turn of event was to avoid friction among party leaders over the RS candidature. Sunil Tatkare, state NCP chief, however said the decision hinged on legal issues around the disqualification petition filed against Patel by the Sharad Pawar-led faction of NCP

MUMBAI: The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) surprised everyone in the political circles by nominating senior leader Praful Patel for the upcoming Rajya Sabha (RS) elections, slated on February 27. He has been nominated despite being a sitting RS member, who has four years left in his term. Patel will now resign from his current RS seat and file nomination for the ongoing polls for the Upper House.

NCP renominates Praful Patel for RS polls to avoid friction over candidature

According to NCP insiders, the reason for the curious turn of event was to avoid friction among party leaders over the RS candidature. Sunil Tatkare, state NCP chief, however said the decision hinged on legal issues around the disqualification petition filed against Patel by the Sharad Pawar-led faction of NCP.

“Praful Patel has been nominated for the polls by the party. The decision was taken considering certain technical reasons. He will now vacate the seat. The bypoll for the seat is expected in May when the party will deliberate on other names,” said Tatkare.

“Around 12 leaders were keen for the nomination. One of them was Parth, Ajit dada’s elder son, who was also very keen to go to the Upper House,” said a senior leader not willing to be named. He added that the deputy chief minister was not keen to offer the candidature to his son. “The party is seriously planning to field Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra from Baramati against MP Supriya Sule. It will create an impression that he is promoting his own family members soon after taking over the NCP,” he remarked.

Parth has been out of politics for the last five years after suffering defeat in 2019. He entered politics by contesting elections from Maval Lok Sabha constituency but suffered a setback with over 2.15 lakh votes against sitting Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne.

The other aspirants for the RS candidature were Sameer Bhujbal, Baba Siddique, Anand Paranjpe, Avinash Adik among others.

Patel will be contesting the polls for a sixth term in RS as he was first elected to the Upper House in 2000. He was re-elected for his second term in 2006, and in 2009 for a fourth term and in 2016 for fifth term.