Mumbai

Former Lok Sabha member Gajanan Kirtikar said on Saturday that he has written to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde seeking his candidature for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

Kirtikar, one of the senior-most leaders from the undivided Shiv Sena, had sided with Shinde when the latter led a rebellion and split the party founded by Bal Thackeray in 2022.

The terms of seven Rajya Sabha members from Maharashtra will end in April. Members of the Upper House of Parliament are elected by MLAs. The Election Commission is set to officially notify the polls for seven Rajya Sabha seats, scheduled for March 16, on February 26.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP, has 232 MLAs and can potentially win six seats.

Kirtikar told PTI that he has written to Shinde stating that, given his vast experience in the legislature and the organisation, he should be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. He was a two-time Lok Sabha member from Mumbai North West, but wasn’t renominated after joining the Shinde-led Sena.

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Based on the current strength in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, Kirtikar said, the BJP can win three Rajya Sabha seats, Shiv Sena (2) and NCP (1). The combined opposition can potentially win one seat as it has only 48 MLAs, he said.

Sharad Pawar and Fauzia Khan of NCP (SP), Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Ramdas Athawale of RPI (Athawale), BJP’s Bhagwat Karad, Congress’ Rajani Patil and NCP’s Dhairysheel Patil are set to retire from Rajya Sabha in April.