Dismal performance in Maharashtra polls bars Sharad Pawar, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Raut from Rajya Sabha return

The Mahayuti coalition won a landslide in the Maharashtra assembly elections, securing 235 seats and 49.6% of the vote share, while MVA got 49 seats and 35.3%.

In the absence of enough support in their parties, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar along with Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), will not be able to return to the Rajya Sabha.

Elected for six-year terms on April 3, 2020, Pawar and Chaturvedi will complete their terms by April 3, 2026, while Sanjay Raut, who was elected on July 22, 2022, will finish his term by July 22, 2028.

With limited backing from both NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), their chances of re-election remain slim. Pawar had earlier stated that this would be his final term in the Rajya Sabha.

Sharad Pawar had earlier said that this would be his final term in the Rajya Sabha.

The Mahayuti coalition won a landslide in the Maharashtra assembly elections, securing 235 seats and 49.6 percent of the vote share, while the Opposition MVA trailed with 49 seats and 35.3 percent.

Read: How the onion belt's shifting loyalty helped Mahayuti secure win

The BJP-led alliance's resounding victory in Maharashtra has strengthened its chances of securing a majority in the Rajya Sabha, as the state elects 19 members to the Upper House.

Currently, the BJP holds seven seats in the Upper House, while the Congress has three, Shiv Sena one, Shiv Sena (UBT) two, NCP three, NCP (Sharad Pawar) two, and the Republican Party of India (Athawale) one.

With 95 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP's combined total with allies reaches 112, along with six nominated members who back the ruling party.

Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have the highest number of MPs in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Although there are no immediate vacancies in Maharashtra, the Rajya Sabha currently has 10 vacancies from other states, with the BJP expected to win more than half. Additionally, four nominated member vacancies are up for grabs.

These developments will likely push the BJP-led alliance beyond the halfway mark in the 245-member House.With PTI inputs