Mumbai: Union minister Narayan Rane, BJP national secretary Vijaya Rahatkar, and former ministers Pankaja Munde and Amrish Patel are among the names doing the rounds in the February 27 elections to six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The state BJP core committee meeting was held at Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis' Sagar bungalow two days ago. Some names were discussed. Sources said it has been decided to send these names to the party's high command. There have been experiences in the past where the party high command accepted the names from the region as they were or changed some names at the last moment.
Former minister Harshvardhan Patil, state BJP Mahila Morcha president Chitra Wagh, and Mumbai's Sanjay Upadhyay are also in the news.
Who's going to get a chance? State BJP vice-president Madhav Bhandari's name has been doing the rounds for Rajya Sabha and legislative council every time, but he has yet to get a chance. Pankaja Munde's name has also been in the news continuously in recent years, but she too has not got a chance. Ajit Gopachade from Nanded was scheduled to be sent back to the Legislative Council, but his name was dropped at the last minute. It is believed that the BJP will decide the Rajya Sabha candidate based on divisional balance, caste balance, giving a candidate keeping in mind the Lok Sabha elections, giving a chance to a woman, etc.
... Then BJP will contest the fourth seat The BJP will contest three of the six seats. One seat will be given to Shiv Sena and one seat to NCP. The BJP is unlikely to contest the fourth seat. However, the BJP has decided that if the Maha Vikas Aghadi gives another candidate, then it will also give a fourth candidate. It is also believed that if a large group of Congress MLAs join the BJP before the elections, the BJP will contest the fourth seat.
What about Vinod Tawde? The name of national general secretary Vinod Tawde, who is the BJP in-charge of Bihar, is likely to come up at the last moment. The party high command is likely to make a decision soon on whether to keep him in the party organization or give him a Rajya Sabha berth or contest the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai.
Will Muralitharan get another chance? Union Minister of State Murlidharan, who is originally from Kerala was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra. Muraleedharan's term in the Rajya Sabha, along with Narayan Rane and Prakash Javadekar, is coming to an end. Even if Nmuralidharan is not given a second chance, his ministry will continue.
In any case, the model code of conduct of the Lok Sabha will come into force within 15 to 20 days of the Rajya Sabha elections.