Maharashtra: Congress, BJP candidates file nomination for Rajya Sabha bypoll

Congress leader Rajni Patil and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sanjay Upadhyay filed their nominations for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra at the Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday.

Rajni Patil is a former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) while Sanjay Upadhyay is the general secretary of BJP Mumbai unit.

The seat fell vacant after the demise of Congress MP Rajiv Satav earlier this year. The tenure of the Rajya Sabha seat is till April 2026.

After the BJP candidate filed nomination, state party chief Chandrakant Patil said expressed confidence about victory.

"Our candidate will win for sure. If a party with 56 MLAs (Shiv Sena) can have a Chief Minister and a party with 54 MLAs (Nationalist Congress Party) can have a Deputy Chief Minister, then we can also have our candidate win this by-poll. Congress should have nominated a candidate from Rajeev Satav's family as per the tradition in Maharashtra," Patil said.

Sanjay Upadhyay said that the "cracks" within the Maharashtra government will give him an advantage and expressed confidence about his prospects.

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat also expressed confidence about the party winning the seat.

"We have the support of 169 MLAs and we will win without any issue. I want to request BJP that they withdraw their candidate because it is a tradition in Maharashtra that in case of seat falling vacant due to any unfortunate incident, it goes unopposed to the candidate of the same party," he said.

The polling for the by-poll will be held on October 4.

(ANI)