Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 5 : Shiv Sena has nominated Jyoti Waghmare, a Dalit woman from Solapur, as their candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday praised the decision, saying it's a big move that will be welcomed by women across the state.
Speaking to ANI, Shirsat said the nomination of a woman without a political background reflects a major decision that will be appreciated across the state.
"Eknath Shinde has given a Rajya Sabha nomination to a woman who has no political background, an ordinary woman. I think this is a very big decision and all the women of Maharashtra will welcome it, and everyone should think the same. We welcome it," Shirsat said.
Earlier in the day, Congress' Maharashtra MLA Nana Patole lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing them of "deceiving" their alliance partners after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar confirmed that he will file a nomination for the Rajya Sabha election.
Speaking to reporters, Nana Patole equated Nitish Kumar's situation with Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who was not re-elected as CM after Mahayuti gained majority in Maharashtra Assembly Elections in 2024, with the BJP emerging as the largest party.
"Maharashtra is the biggest example of this. Elections were fought under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, and the government came to power, but Eknath Shinde did not become the Chief Minister. In Bihar, elections were fought under the leadership of Nitish Kumar; they (the BJP) won there as well... Now he is being removed from the post of Chief Minister. The BJP has always deceived its alliance partners," he said.
BJP had won 132 seats, Shiv Sena secured 57, and Nationalist Congress Party won 41 seats, and other constituents of Mahayuti alliance won five seats, taking the total to 235 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. After the results, Devendra Fadnavis was elected as the Chief Minister, replacing Eknath Shinde.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the upcoming biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states, as the members are set to complete their term in April 2026, a press note stated.
According to the press note, the term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. The notification will be issued on February 26, commencing the election process.
The last date of nominations is March 5, followed by scrutiny on March 6. The candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 9. The polling is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm.
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