During an informal interaction with reporters, NCP working president Praful Patel announced that the party had secured an additional Rajya Sabha seat during seat-sharing negotiations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Despite contesting only a limited number of seats in Maharashtra and Lakshadweep, the NCP managed to negotiate for a Rajya Sabha seat after incumbent union minister Piyush Goyal’s resignation.
Patel explained that the party had withdrawn its claim to the Satara seat for the Lok Sabha elections to secure a Rajya Sabha seat. The party will now have two Rajya Sabha seats, including one that became vacant after Patel’s resignation and another that will become vacant after Piyush Goyal’s election from the Mumbai North constituency.
In terms of seat distribution in Maharashtra, Patel justified the NCP gaining four seats while leaving Parbhani to MahaYuti partner Rashtriya Samaj Paksha founder Mahadev Jankar. He highlighted the party’s growth from having only one seat to securing four seats following the NCP split.
Patel also mentioned that senior party minister Chhagan Bhujbal had opted not to run for the Nashik seat in the Lok Sabha elections. Conversations with the BJP and Shiv Sena regarding the party’s claim to the seat are ongoing.
In a related development, Mushtaq Antulay, the son-in-law of former Maharashtra Chief Minister AR Antulay, joined the NCP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
