In the coming April, the term of 7 Rajya Sabha MPs from Maharashtra will end, and the entire state is focused on this election. Notably, among these seven is Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar group). It is clear that the changed political equations after the 2024 assembly elections will have a direct impact on this Rajya Sabha election. Considering the current strength of the legislature, the power of the grand alliance has increased significantly. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that 6 out of the 7 Rajya Sabha seats will go to the grand alliance. In this, BJP may get 4 seats, Shinde group's Shiv Sena 1 seat, and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group) 1 seat. It is speculated that the remaining 1 seat may go to the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
In the Rajya Sabha elections, a candidate needs 37.5 votes to win. However, due to the significant reduction in the strength of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the Legislative Assembly, the 3 seats they previously held have now shifted to the Mahayuti. In the 2024 assembly elections, the Mahayuti achieved significant success, strengthening its hold on power. In this election, 137 BJP MLAs were elected, while 60 from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and 41 from Ajit Pawar's NCP were victorious. On the other hand, the Maha Vikas Aghadi suffered a major setback. The Uddhav Thackeray faction had to be content with only 20 seats, Congress with 16, and Sharad Pawar's NCP with just 10 seats. This numerical strength clearly shows the dominance of the Mahayuti in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, there is a significant discussion in political circles regarding Sharad Pawar's Rajya Sabha candidacy. On this, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) MP Sanjay Raut has expressed a clear stance. “A leader like Sharad Pawar being in Delhi is extremely necessary for Maharashtra. He is the strong voice of Maharashtra,” said Raut. Although Pawar has the mindset to stop now, he expressed the desire for him to contest the election once again. “The Maha Vikas Aghadi has the strength to bring Pawar to victory. Maharashtra's pride and honor are behind him. There is no need to beg anyone,” Raut also expressed confidence. Therefore, everyone is focused on whether Pawar will contest the next Rajya Sabha election.
Currently, out of the total 19 Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra, 12 are with the NDA and 7 are with the Maha Vikas Aghadi. The Sharad Pawar group currently has two seats with Sharad Pawar and Fauzia Khan. The term of both of them ends on April 2, 2026. On the same day, the term of Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Thackeray group, Rajani Patil of Congress, Dhirayashil Patil of BJP, Bhagwat Karad, and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale is also ending. Against this backdrop, the upcoming Rajya Sabha election is expected to be a political indicator for Maharashtra, not just a matter of numbers.