Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar calls NCP meet today to look into RS poll setback

MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting of cabinet members and senior leaders of his party on Monday to take stock of the political situation arising out of the humiliating defeat of the Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Pawar in the Rajya Sabha elections. The MVA candidate had lost to the BJP’s Dhananjay Mahadik.
“The political situation will be reviewed at the meeting,” deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar told mediapersons in Satara on Sunday.
An NCP leader said the MVA had adequate numbers but Sanjay Pawar had lost due to lack of coordination and planning at all levels. “We erred in allocation of quota. As a result, we could not take note of second preferential votes,” he said. He pointed out that during informal meetings with Sena leaders, it was specifically told that quota for the first three candidates should be at least 50 each as only then the fourth candidate would be elected in the second round.
However, it was later decided to allot 42 to each candidate assuming that every voter will vote as per the decision. “Quite a large number of them did not vote for MVA nominees, following which Sanjay Pawar lost,” he said.
The BJP had ensured its first two candidates—Piyush Goyal and Anil Bonde—won by maximum first preferential votes. It had allotted a quota of 48 each to the two. This resulted in their second preferential votes automatically getting transferred to the third candidate, Mahadik, resulting in his victory.