The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had a show of strength, albeit without some who were with it when the government was formed in 2019, for the Rajya Sabha polls, which have become exciting because of seven candidates for six seats. The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have kept their extra candidates in the field making it a game of calculations, predictions and one worth watching as far as the role of independents and smaller parties is concerned.

The MVA seemed to be in a better position with 12 independents present at a meeting of MLAs who were addressed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) boss Sharad Pawar and the Congress observer Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday evening at a five-star hotel. No wonder then that the CM told the gathering to be ready to party after the MVA’s four (including Sena’s two) contestants win on June 10.