Sunetra Pawar, the NCP candidate who lost in the recent Lok Sabha elections from Baramati to her sister-in-law Supriya Sule, here on Monday filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha by-elections scheduled for June 25. Her nomination was supported by NCP President Ajit Pawar, Working President Praful Patel, state unit chief Sunil Tatkare, Assembly Deputy Speaker Narahari Zirwal, and ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde, Anil Patil, and Dharmarao Baba Atram.
Despite claims that BJP and Shiv Sena were taken into confidence about her nomination, their members were conspicuously absent during the filing.
The bypoll has been caused by NCP leader Praful Patel resigning after his re-election to the Upper House in February.
Thanking her husband Ajit Pawar for supporting her nomination, Sunetra Pawar said, "There was consensus for proposing my name. Senior party leader and minister Chhagan Bhujbal blessed me. People's demand has resulted in my nomination. My son Parth Pawar also favored my nomination."
Her nomination was officially cleared on Wednesday by NCP ministers in a meeting led by Ajit Pawar, though earlier senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal had raised concerns about the nomination process.
She faced competition not only from Bhujbal but also from former minister Baba Siddique, recently joined the NCP after quitting the Congress, while one another claimant for the nomination was former MP Anand Paranjape.
Praful Patel further clarified, "There was no resentment in the party over the nomination of Sunetra Pawar. The party took pains and carefully decided about it".
Bhujbal later clarified that whatever he had said earlier was not correct; "The core group of the party has decided unanimously to send Sunetra Pawar to the Rajya Sabha. There were several claimants, including me, but we have decided to set aside and keep Sunetra Pawar for the good of the party.
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