All candidates of Mahayuti will be victorious: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Rajya Sabha elections

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic

After fielding former Congress leader as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections, Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said that all the candidates of the Mahayuti (Grand Alliance) will be victorious, reported news agency ANI.

"All candidates of the Mahayuti will be victorious. We have an absolute majority. These elections can be unopposed too. Milind Deora is an honest and highly educated candidate who has also been a minister. He has good political and grassroots experience. We have full faith that he will work well at the National level and also prove to be a good decision for the party," CM Eknath Shinde said, reported ANI.

On Thursday, Congress turncoat Milind Deora filed a nomination as Shiv Sena's (Eknath Shinde faction) Rajya Sabha candidate from Maharashtra.

Deora filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other party leaders.

Deora earlier this year switched from Congress severing decades-old family ties with the grand old party and joined Shiv Sena.

He was elected to Lok Sabha in 2004 and 2009 but lost the consecutive general elections in 2014 and 2019.

Deora, the son of late Congress veteran leader Murli Deora, quit the party on January 14, alleging that it had deviated from its ideological and organisational roots.

Former CM and Congress defector Ashok Chavan also filed for nomination as BJP's Rajya Candidate from Maharashtra on Thursday.

Ashok Chavan joined the BJP earlier this week, a day after quitting the Congress. Speaking after his nomination to the Rajya Sabha, Chavan thanked PM Modi for having faith in him.

The Election Commission has scheduled the Rajya Sabha elections for 15 states, including Uttar Pradesh, for February 27.

Voting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm on this date, with the deadline for nominations set for February 15.

The results of the elections will be announced on the same day, February 27.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will hold a two-day convention in Kolhapur on February 16 and 17 to prepare for the elections for the upcoming Lok Sabha and state Assembly.

(With inputs from ANI)