Angered over NCP-SP’s admission that they were planning to merge with NCP and, hence, become part of BJP-led NDA alliance, the Thackeray family had decided not to support Pawar’s candidature for the Rajya Sabha seat.
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“Supriya Sule and Jayant Patil had come to meet Uddhav Thackeray last Tuesday. Despite a two-hour discussion, they could not get Uddhav to support Pawar’s candidature. Uddhav told the NCP-SP leaders that while they had respect for Sharad Pawar, the Sena would send its own candidate to the Rajya Sabha as it was their turn,” a Sena-UBT leader.
Another Sena-UBT leader said that from the beginning they had made it clear to NCP-SP and Congress that it was not just about a Rajya Sabha seat. “Our leader Aaditya Thackeray had said multiple times that it was only the Sena-UBT and Congress that had been opposing BJP government at the Centre and there was no clarity on which parties were part of the INDIA bloc anymore. We were clearly conveying to Congress that such parties (NCP-SP) that frequently indulge in secret meetings to join the government should not be welcome in the alliance anymore.”
NCP-SP leadership then changed tact and began all-out efforts to get the Congress leadership in New Delhi on board to support Pawar’s candidature. Sule is learnt to have spoken to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior Congress leaders on getting support. Although unhappy with NCP-SP’s merger talks with NCP and even though they too had pressed their own claim for the Rajya Sabha seat, the Congress leadership was not too keen to displease Pawar and announced their support for him.
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There is anger within the Thackeray family over how Pawar got the Rajya Sabha support. Aaditya Thackeray showed it when he spoke after the nomination issue was resolved in favour of Pawar, “I want to say this thing again that we were fighting for our rightful share. Unfortunately, now we will not have an opportunity to get our candidate till 2028.”
