MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Thursday said his party can field a third candidate for the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections and win that seat too if the central leadership instructed.
Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar filed their nomination papers for the elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra for which members of the state Assembly will be the electors.
"If the central leadership instructs us, we will field a third candidate and win that seat as well. Going by the strength in the Assembly, two candidates of BJP can win easily," Patil told reporters here.
A candidate will need a quota of 42 votes to win. The BJP has enough votes to win two seats on its own. Ruling alliance partners Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have the votes to get one candidate each elected separately, but together they can get another candidate elected to the Upper House of Parliament.
Banking on this arithmetic, the Sena has decided to field two candidates in the election. The BJP has 106 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.
The strength of other parties is as follows: Shiv Sena 55, NCP 53, Congress 44, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi three, Samajwadi Party, AIMIM and Prahar Janshakti Party two each, MNS, CPM, Peasants and Workers Party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Swabhimani Party, Jansurajya Shakti and Krantikari Shetkari Party one each.
There are 13 Independents, while one seat is vacant.