‘First right’ vs ‘national party’: MVA's lone winnable Rajya Sabha seat sees Congress, Sena UBT tussle

Senior leaders of the MVA alliance met in Mumbai on Thursday to hold discussions on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and the seat allocation.

Published on: Feb 26, 2026, 22:56:06 IST

By Arya Mishra

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The Maha Vikas Aghadi is witnessing a tussle between its parties for its lone winnable Rajya Sabha seat in Maharashtra. Days after the Shiv Sena said it has “first right” over the seat, the Congress has now staked claim to it citing its national party status.

After Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray signalled that the seat "belongs" to his party based on numbers, Wadettiwar highlighted Congress's national party status. (PTI)

In view of this, senior leaders of the MVA alliance constituents, including Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), met in Mumbai on Thursday to hold discussions on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and the seat allocation with regards to it, PTI news agency reported.

Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray had last week seemed to stake his party's claim to the lone winnable seat for the MVA in the Rajya Sabha. However, following this Congress' legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar proposed that the seat be allotted to the Congress on grounds of it being a national party.

Also Read | Pawar politics in Maharashtra

The Rajya Sabha stint for NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, party leader Fauzia Khan, Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Ramdas Athawale of RPI (Athawale), BJP's Bhagwat Karad, Congress's Rajani Patil and NCP's Dhairysheel Patil, will end. The MVA can potentially send one candidate to the House owing to its depleted strength, PTI reported.

What have Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders said?

Before Wadettiwar, Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal had last week staked his party's claim to the seat, but stressed that a united decision was needed to effectively challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sapkal's remarks came a day after Aaditya Thackeray's remarks. Rajya Sabha MP and Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had also thereafter echoed similar thoughts, saying his party had the “first right” as the MVA's “largest party” in the Assembly. “The Shiv Sena (UBT) is the single largest party in the opposition with 20 MLAs. The Congress has 16, and the NCP (SP) has 10,” Raut stated.

However, all parties have asserted that the decision would be made through dialogue. Wadettiwar on Thursday said “the MVA will contest the election unitedly”, in line with what Sapkal had said. “The candidate will be finalised only with the consent of all three parties,” Wadettiwar said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Arya Mishra
Arya Mishra is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, and a key member of the digital news team focusing on urgent breaking developments across India and the world. With a sharp editorial instinct and strong reporting skills, Arya covers high-impact crime incidents, public safety and justice issues, political developments, education policy and international affairs, consistently delivering clear, accurate and timely journalism. Her recent reporting highlights include detailed coverage of serious criminal cases, politics as well as analyses of national education reforms and international diplomatic moves. On the world news front, she has written about global trade policy changes and security developments, including tariff shifts by the United States and strategic counter-terrorism strategies being rolled out by Ministry of Home Affairs. Arya thrives in fast-paced environments – running live blogs, crafting in-depth explainers and real-time news coverage that keeps readers informed as stories evolve. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was a part of The Indian Express online team. Outside the newsroom, she is an avid reader, with a love for thriller and suspense fiction, and enjoys music as a way to unwind. With more than three years of experience in dynamic newsrooms, Arya brings curiosity, clarity and commitment to every story she covers.Read More

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