Sharad Pawar files nomination for Rajya Sabha polls

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, whose Rajya Sabha tenure is set to end, filed his nomination at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai for the March 26 elections.

Mumbai (Maharashtra): NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday filed his nomination here for the March 26 Rajya Sabha election.

The former Union minister filed his nomination in the Vidhan Bhavan complex here. He was accompanied by NCP leaders from the state.

NCP leader and former minister Fauzia Khan, who was expected to file her nomination along with Pawar on Wednesday, is likely to do so on Thursday.

The last date for filing of nomination is March 13.

Besides Pawar's, the Rajya Sabha terms of Union minister Ramdas Athawale, Congress' Hussain Dalwai, Sena's Rajkumar Dhoot, BJP's Amar Sable, BJP-backed Independent Sanjay Kakade and NCP's Majeed Memon will end on April 2.

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Ruling alliance members Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP can comfortably win a seat each, as a single candidate needs 37 votes.

The leaders of the ruling alliance will meet on Wednesday evening to finalise the floor strategy.

Elections to 55 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in April will be held on March 26, the Election Commission has announced. March 13 is the last date for filing nominations.

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Fifty-one of these 55 seats from 17 states are falling vacant on different dates in April due to retirement of sitting members, while the rest are already vacant due to resignation of members.

The terms of the members who had resigned in the recent past were also ending in April.

Counting will be held on the evening of March 26, an hour after the conclusion of polls.

(With inputs from PTI)