In a surprise move, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday said it would field senior leader Praful Patel for the coming election to the Rajya Sabha even though he is already a member of the Upper House of Parliament.
Patel has four years of his Rajya Sabha term left, but the decision to field him again was taken due to some “technical issues”, the party’s Maharashtra unit chief Sunil Tatkare told reporters.
The former Union minister, who is currently the NCP’s working president, will resign from his existing membership of the House after getting elected and take oath afresh, Tatkare added.
“Patel will file nomination papers tomorrow afternoon,” he said without elaborating on the exact reasons for the decision or “technical issues”.
The announcement came a day before the Maharashtra Speaker is scheduled to announce a decision on disqualification petitions filed by warring NCP camps after Ajit Pawar split the Sharad Pawar-led party last year.
Earlier this month, the Election Commission recognised the Ajit faction as the real NCP.
Patel was elected to Rajya Sabha in June 2022 and would have had a term until 2028.
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