Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar, Ramdas Athawale Among Seven Leaders Elected Unopposed to Rajya Sabha

All seven candidates, including Sharad Pawar, Ramdas Athawale and Vinod Tawde, were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in the biennial elections. A significant development in the process was the manner in which Athawale secured his seat. Although his candidature had earlier been announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party, he ultimately entered the Upper House as a representative of his own party, the Republican Party of India (Athawale). This move ensured that he formally continued to represent his party despite being part of the ruling alliance at the Centre.

Intense last-minute negotiations played a crucial role in enabling the Social Justice Minister to retain his independent party identity in Parliament. Athawale reportedly conveyed to senior leaders in Delhi that he preferred contesting the election as a candidate of the RPI(A) instead of being officially listed as a BJP nominee, reported Free Press Journal, citing sources. His request was eventually accommodated, allowing him to file the necessary party documents to confirm his candidature under his own party’s banner. The development highlighted the political balancing within the alliance, where Athawale’s party continues to maintain its presence while remaining aligned with the BJP-led coalition.

To formalise his candidature, Athawale submitted his party’s A and B forms, documents that grant official approval from a political party and authorise the use of its election symbol. Interestingly, when his name was first announced by the BJP’s national leadership, Athawale refrained from clearly stating whether he would contest the election as a BJP candidate or as a representative of the RPI(A). His cautious response at the time led to speculation within political circles about the final status of his nomination. The uncertainty was later resolved once he completed the official paperwork identifying himself with his own party.

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Several senior BJP leaders congratulated Athawale following the announcement from Delhi and referred to him as a BJP candidate during their messages. However, political observers noted that if Athawale had accepted the BJP tag, the Republican Party of India (Athawale) might have effectively lost its separate identity within the National Democratic Alliance. After the Election Commission of India officially declared the results, the BJP secured three unopposed seats through Vinod Tawde, Maya Inamdar, and Ramrao Wadkute.

Other leaders elected without contest included Sharad Pawar representing the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), Parth Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party, and Dr Jyoti Wagmare of the Shiv Sena. Senior NCP MLA Jayant Patil collected the certificate of election on behalf of Pawar, who is currently resting as advised by doctors.