Maharashtra: Sunetra Pawar files nomination for Rajya Sabha bye-election

Mumbai: Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, filed her nomination on Thursday for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bye-election at Vidhan Bhawan in Mumbai.
NCP leaders Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal were present during the nomination process.
The bye-election was necessitated by the resignation of NCP leader Praful Patel two years into his tenure, who was re-elected in February this year.
The election is scheduled for June 26, with today being the last date for filing nominations.
Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal expressed that the party's core group unanimously decided to nominate Sunetra Pawar for the Rajya Sabha seat.
"Several people, including me, wanted that seat but after discussions, we have decided that Sunetra Pawar should be sent to the Rajya Sabha. I am not at all upset by this decision. This decision was made in the interest of the party," Bhujbal told reporters in Mumbai.
Sunetra Pawar, who who recently lost the Lok Sabha election from Baramati to her sister-in-law and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, was chosen following a resolution by the NCP (Ajit Pawar) Pune unit.
Pune unit of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) passed a resolution demanding that Sunetra Pawar be sent to the Rajya Sabha and be made a minister in the central government.
"We all know that we could not succeed in Baramati; our Vahini (sister-in-law) lost from Baramati but one needs to understand winning and losing in the election is part of politics," Mankar said while speaking to ANI on Thursday.
"We know that former PM Indira Gandhi also lost after the emergency but she made a strong comeback. Sunetra Pawar is also very strong; she has been with Ajit Pawar for the last 40 years and she has a lot of experience of working with different people from various sectors therefore it is the demand of the party workers that Sunetra Pawar must be sent to Rajyasabha and shall be given a ministerial post in the central government," he added.