Shiv Sena on Wednesday nominated senior leader Milind Deora as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra. The development comes a month after Deora resigned from Congress to join Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Deora's departure from the Congress party marked what he described as the "end of an important chapter" in his political career. His decision reportedly stemmed from dissatisfaction with the ongoing seat-sharing negotiations between Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
After quitting Congress last month, Deora had blamed the grand old party's deviation from its ideological and organisational roots, lacking appreciation for honesty and constructive criticism for his departure from the grand old party. "As my valued voters, supporters and well-wishers, it is essential for me to explain why I have chosen to depart from the Congress and align with the Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde ji," he had written in an official statement.
BJP fields Nadda from Gujarat
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday fielded its national president JP Nadda for Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan from his home state Maharashtra. Chavan joined the BJP on Tuesday, a day after quitting the Congress. The BJP's latest list of candidates for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls has seven nominees -- four from Gujarat and three from Maharashtra.
Upcoming Rajya Sabha elections
The Election Commission said that the biennial Rajya Sabha polls will be held on February 27 for 56 seats, as the tenure of incumbents including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and BJP president JP Nadda will end in April.
The vacancies also include seats held by nine Union ministers including Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The nomination process began on February 8 with the issuance of the notification. February 15 will be the last date for filing nominations while February 20 is the last date to withdraw candidature. As per the established practice, while voting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm, the counting will be held on the same day from 5 pm onwards.
ALSO READ: Rajya Sabha polls: BJP fields JP Nadda from Gujarat, Ashok Chavan in Maharashtra
