Parth Pawar throws his hat in the ring for Rajya Sabha seat

Mumbai: In the backdrop of the speculations that Parth Pawar, elder son of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, has staked claim for a Rajya Sabha seat, NCP working president Praful Patel and state president Sunil Tatkare had a 45-minute long meeting with Parth at the party’s office at Nariman Point on Tuesday evening. Though the leaders were tight lipped about the meeting, some leaders said that the meeting was held to discuss the same.

This is not the first time when Parth has put his hat in the ring. During the Rajya Sabha elections held in February, he had insisted on getting the opportunity. However, the party leadership was not in favour of giving him the candidature in the backdrop of the Lok Sabha elections in which Ajit’s wife Sunetra was going to be fielded from the Baramati seat.

“Parth was then assured that his name would be considered for the next Rajya Sabha election,” said a party insider.

Consequently, Praful Patel resigned from his then Rajya Sabha seat when he still had four years left in his tenure. He filed a nomination for another Rajya Sabha seat and was elected unopposed in February.

The election commission (ECI) declared an election for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Patel in February. The new Rajya Sabha MP will be elected by state MLAs and NCP has all the strength to win the seat with the help of two ruling allies — BJP and Shiv Sena.

Parth has been out of politics for the last five years after being defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He entered politics by contesting elections from Maval Lok Sabha constituency but was defeated by sitting Shiv Sena MP Shrirang Barne by over 2.15 lakh votes.