Cong's Rajani Patil set to enter RS unopposed from Maharashtra after BJP withdraws candidate from bypoll

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with former MP Rajani Patil. Pic/Twitter Rajani Patil

Senior Congress leader Rajani Patil is set to be declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra after the opposition BJP on Monday withdrew its candidate from the next month's bypoll.

The by-election was necessitated due to the death of sitting Congress MP Rajeev Satav in May. His term in the Upper House of Parliament was till April 2, 2026.

Monday (September 27) was the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers for the October 4 by-election.

The BJP had fielded Sanjay Upadhyay for the bypoll and he has now withdrawn from the race, paving the way for Patil (62) to get elected unopposed. Patil and Upadhyay were the only candidates in the fray.

Talking to reporters here, Upadhyay said Congress leaders in the state had appealed to the BJP to withdraw its candidate so that the Congress nominee gets elected unopposed.

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"I have withdrawn my nomination on the party's directives," he said.

"The decision to withdraw my candidature was taken in a meeting of the state BJP core committee," Upadhyay said.

Last week, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and his party colleague and minister Balasaheb Thorat had met Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP and urged him to facilitate unopposed election of Patil.

The 288-member Assembly formed the electoral college for the by-election in which the BJP is the single largest party with 106 MLAs.

Patil was the candidate of the ruling coalition MVA, led by the Shiv Sena in which the Congress is a key constituent.

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