23 April,2024 12:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel and others at NCP manifesto launch/ Sameer Syyed Abedi
During an informal interaction with reporters after the release of the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, NCP working president Praful Patel revealed that despite contesting only four seats in Maharashtra and one in Lakshadweep under the 'clock' symbol, the party was able to secure an additional seat in the Rajya Sabha during seat-sharing negotiations.
Patel clarified that, while the NCP withdrew its claim to the Satara seat for Lok Sabha Elections 2024, which the BJP will now contest, the party negotiated to obtain a Rajya Sabha seat after incumbent and union minister Piyush Goyal from the Mumbai North constituency resigned, in addition to one that became vacant following Patel's resignation, reported IANS.
The report quoted Praful Patel as saying, "It is true that the NCP left its claim over Satara which the BJP will now contest. However, in return during our seat-sharing talks, it was decided that the NCP will get a Rajya Sabha seat after the election of the incumbent and union minister Piyush Goyal from the Mumbai North constituency in addition to one that is now vacant after my resignation. Therefore, NCP will get two seats, one of mine (he resigned from the Rajya Sabha after he was again elected to the Upper House till 2030 during the recent election) and another of Piyush Goyal."
Patel went on to explain that, despite having a term in the Rajya Sabha till 2028, he resigned and was re-elected as the NCP nominee for a term ending in 2030, the agency report stated.
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Furthermore, the report stated that 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 remarked that the party began with only one seat, held by Sunil Tatkare from Raigad, and has already secured four seats following the NCP split.
"NCP had one seat that of Sunil Tatkare from Raigad (after the split in the NCP). Now we have got four seats," Praful Patel noted.
Patel also stated that senior party minister Chhagan Bhujbal has opted not to run for the Nashik seat in Lok Sabha Elections 2024, although conversations with the BJP and Shiv Sena are ongoing about the party's claim to the seat. "The discussions are underway with the BJP and the Shiv Sena," he added per IANS report.
In a related development, ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Mushtaq Antulay, the son-in-law of former Maharashtra Chief Minister AR Antulay, joined the NCP alongside party heavyweights Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal. Antulay is from Raigad district, where Tatkare is up against Shiv Sena UBT nominee Anant Geete.
